Triskaidekaphobia

[Candy]

Triskaidekaphobia (http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Triskaidekaphobia.html)Triskaidekaphobia is the fear of 13, a number commonly associated with bad luck in Western culture. While fear of the number 13 can be traced back to medieval times, the word triskaidekaphobia itself is of recent vintage, having been first coined by Coriat (1911; Simpson and Weiner 1992). It seems to have first appeared in the general media in a Nov. 8, 1953 New York Times article covering discussions of a United Nations committee.

This superstition leads some people to fear or avoid anything involving the number 13. In particular, this leads to interesting practices such as the numbering of floors as 1, 2, ..., 11, 12, 14, 15, ... (Sloane's A011760; the "elevator sequence"), omitting the number 13, in many high-rise American hotels, the numbering of streets avoiding 13th Avenue, and so on.Superstition (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superstition)
A superstition is an irrational belief about the relation between certain actions—often behaviors—and later occurrences, such as the belief that the number 13 causes misfortune or bad luck. Whether a belief is superstitious is not defined by the "truth" of the result, however, but by the methods through which truth is sought. Superstitions are often based on invalid reasoning resulting from misunderstandings of causality or statistics, with others spring from unenlightened fears, religious beliefs, traditions, and a general belief in the supernatural.
I just watched a show on superstition, and it was very interesting. I did not realize so many people as so superstitious. I don’t consider myself superstitious, but I do find myself catering to others about their fears. :think:

[Lianachan]

Whenever they're involved in an important match, I wear my "lucky" Ross County tie. It doesn't work. I've had more success with my Lucky Hamish. He's a friend who I occasionally take to matches with me. Every match I've taken him to, we've won (must be around 10 games now - including some in cups against teams from higher leagues).

[Candy]

Come to think of it, I do have an "outfit" I consider lucky clothes for interviews. The shoes are so cool! Thus far, I've been to one interview and I got the job. I haven't worn the "outfit" since. I'm waiting for my next interview. :shifty:

[mid]

Am I strange for thinking the number 13 is lucky? I met my wife on a 13th, in both the sense that I met the person who became my wife on one, and got married on another.

But then, our son was born on a September 11th, so our luck clearly doesn't run along with everyone else.

[Gruesome]

Am I strange for thinking the number 13 is lucky? I met my wife on a 13th, in both the sense that I met the person who became my wife on one, and got married on another.

I don't think so. I was born on a Friday the 13th so those days have always held a place in the 'lucky day' file. Thirteen is my buddy.

Of course, your results may vary...

[Candy]

My mother was born on Friday the 13th, and she only wishes distress onto herself. She did get hit by a semi-trailer truck about 2 years ago, but she's alive. She lives in a bubble world now, but that's okay - similar to what she had before. One difference, I'm the cool kid (out of 4) that she idolizes. It wasn't this way before the accident. :think:

[Candy]

I threw a Bible in the fire while attending a major geek fest at Purdue. I had a great time. :D

We were sitting around the fireplace debating what to do with the bible.

I FREAKED SO MANY PEOPLE OUT THAT DAY!

[Doodler]

So what do you do if your of Norman or Scandinavian decent and were the product of a culture that revered the number 13?

[Candy]

So what do you do if your of Norman or Scandinavian decent and were the product of a culture that revered the number 13?We must be kin. :razz:

[Gruesome]

I tell ya....if I was on Apollo 13 the mission would have gone flawlessly.

[korjik]

all I know is I picked up a penny yesterday, and everything that went wrong went wrong in my benefit.

I kinda suspect luck is a conserved quantity. Now I just need to find the symmetry :)

[Grey]

I've always been fond of the number 13, out of a certain sense of perversity. :)

[farmerjumperdon]

Ya know, I've lived in many places and never noticed that thing about the street numbers. Now I've gotta go looking. Mapquest, here I come.

[SolusLupus]

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia- Fear of long words.

http://www.phobialist.com/

[Gillianren]

Stephen King is triskaidekaphobic. He actually wrote an article on the subject one, which one of these days I'll have to track down.

[John Dlugosz]

Well, American paper money is loaded with 13's. Nobody seems to mind.

I'm fond of 13 if only because it's prime.

[SolusLupus]

John Dlugosz:

Factor this equation:

169x^2-1

[randb]

I threw a Bible in the fire while attending a major geek fest at Purdue. I had a great time. :D

We were sitting around the fireplace debating what to do with the bible.

I FREAKED SO MANY PEOPLE OUT THAT DAY!


This guy, on campus was trying to convert me to christianity... Like he wouldn't give up. And then once, he tried to get me to read the Bible. I threw it in the trash right in front of him!!!:neutral:

[Candy]

This guy, on campus was trying to convert me to christianity... Like he wouldn't give up. And then once, he tried to get me to read the Bible. I threw it in the trash right in front of him!!!:neutral:
It does make you feel guilty, doesn't it? :neutral:

I've seen a few buildings that excluded the floor 13. The elevator skipped from floor 12 to 14. Floor 14 would've been floor 13.

I watched a movie several years ago. The entire 13th floor had been sealed off from the public after a murder in the 40's. It was a horror flick. The decor was to die for, dusty, but very cool.

I flip pennies to head side up, so others will have good luck when they find it. I don't know why I do this, but it makes me feel good.

[Enzp]

Not to mention plenty of airliners that have no row 13. Row 12, row 14. No 13. I've seen quite a few buildings skipping the 13th floor too.

[LurchGS]

I wonder why my office is on the 12th floor.. of a 12 storey building...(they wouldn't let me put it on the roof. )

I am not aware of any phobias in my makeup

[Halcyon Dayz]

I've seen a few buildings that excluded the floor 13.
The elevator skipped from floor 12 to 14. Floor 14 would've been floor 13.
In that case the 14th floor is the 13th.
They just call it something else.

In Dutch you start counting with the floor above ground level.
One up, two up, etc. Same difference. It's just a number.

[Candy]

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia- Fear of long words.

http://www.phobialist.com/Coulrophobia- Fear of clowns.

I worked with a lady who had a fear of clowns. :eh:

[Enzp]

I know a clown who was afraid of ladies.


I think it was too much rejection. They liked that he wore the big shoes and had deep pockets, but the nose was a deal breaker.

[Gillianren]

I don't think (and do correct me if I'm wrong!) any superstition is quite so institutionalized as triskaidekaphobia. I mean, hotels, airlines, and whatnot actually cater to this superstition. (And please, please, please--no comments about religion being a superstition!) No room thirteen, row thirteen, or floor thirteen. (Though I'm sure there's an apartment thirteen in this complex, I've never actually looked for it. I may this afternoon, just to see.) A lot of businesses firmly expect enough people to be triskaidekaphobic to cater to 'em over those of us who aren't. (Much.)

[Dr Nigel]

8 is far more dangerous than 13. Don't you guys read Terry Pratchett?

Counting stories in a building is the same in Britain as in the Netherlands, Halcyon. The floor at ground level is called the ground floor. Next one up is first, and so on.

Where I went to Uni, there was a student hall of residence that was a 16-storey tower block. There was an urban myth that, if a student wanted to end everything, (s)he should choose the 13th floor, because it gave enough time to reach terminal velocity (I think the pun was intentional, and, yes, it does contravene the Geneva convention) but not so much time that you have second thoughts on the way down.

[LurchGS]

heh, once you take that step, second thoughts don't matter.

I do find it intresting (in a cultural sense) that the US (and possibly Canada and others - I don't know) refer to the ground floor as the 1st floor, while others refer to the first level UP as the first floor..

[Candy]

At school, the Ground Floor is the Ground Floor (or Lobby). My class is on the 9th Floor. I get confused sometimes when leaving. I hit the button for the 1st Floor, when I should have hit (G) for the Ground Floor. Or is it (L) for Lobby? :think:

At work, there is the Basement (B), First Floor, and Second Floor. In this case, First Floor is Ground Floor. There is more than one building for my company. Each follows the same rule.

I never thought about it until just now. I wonder why there is a difference. :shifty:

What's up with a Baker's Dozen, which is 13?

[Gillianren]

It's a medieval way of preventing bakers from selling underweight bread--you buy a dozen loaves, and they toss one in to be sure they've made weight. This was necessary given the apparently draconian laws against selling underweight goods in those days.

[Candy]

It's a medieval way of preventing bakers from selling underweight bread--you buy a dozen loaves, and they toss one in to be sure they've made weight. This was necessary given the apparently draconian laws against selling underweight goods in those days. Interesting. Thanks.

[cjl]

hmmm...

Paraskavedekatriaphobia- Fear of Friday the 13th

[Dr Nigel]

Yes, that was a scary film!

BTW, Candy, love the avatar.

[Candy]

BTW, Candy, love the avatar.
Thank you, Dr Nigel. :)

Selenophobia- Fear of the moon.:eek: