anatidaephobia

English

Etymology

From Anatidae +‎ -phobia. Coined by Gary Larson in 1988 in a Far Side comic.

Noun

anatidaephobia (uncountable)

1. (humorous) The fear that one is being constantly watched by a duck.
   • 2010, Amber K, True Magick: A Beginner's Guide, Llewellyn Publications, →ISBN, page 9:

     My regards to the ducks who watched me as I worked and gently encouraged me to stay on track. Even mild anatidaephobia has its uses.

   • 2013, Montgomery Trevour Halle-Bouern, Objects in the Mirror Aka Vulture Culture, iUniverse, →ISBN, page 16:

     Worse than that, Thomas himself suffered from anatidaephobia, the fear that you were being watched by a duck. As a youth, every time those Aflac commercials came on, Thomas had to retreat to his room in anguish.

   • 2014, Ahava Leibtag, The Digital Crown: Winning at Content on the Web‎^[1], Morgan Kaufmann, →ISBN:

     For example, Aflac, the insurance company, posted an ad featuring their duck mascot on the same page as an article about anatidaephobia—the fear that you are being watched by a duck (Figure 1.2).

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:anatidaephobia.