I've been writing about horrible words for over two years, now, but I didn't know that the word moist attracts such opprobrium
Personally, I think that moist is a rather splendid word. It is perhaps rather hippo-like in the way it occupies its space on the page, but I'm surprised to find that 7,903 people have registered hating the word moist as an interest on Facebook.
I found that out here, in an article by Matthew J. X. Malady (who isn't, I would have said, in a position to throw stones about slightly unfortunate words, but, hey...) which I found via the Slate website.
Moist...
Nope.
Just reminds me of good soil and chocolate cake.
Ah well.
Word Not To Use Today If It Upsets You: moist. This word is related to the Latin mūcidus, which means musty, and mūcus, which, I'm afraid, means mucus.
But then you can't blame a word for its great aunts, can you.
Although I don't quite understand the full passion and ire that moist attracts, I do see why it's disliked. As an adjective for something I'm just about to put in my mouth (ie. cake), it's pretty ick. There is also the verb 'bemoist', as in 'to make something moist' and that's similarly ick. As for its etymology, there you go - it was a nasty word to begin with, and it's a nasty word to the end : o )
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