triskaidekaphobia

A forwarded message from Ms. NH (A good news I guess, since I live on the 13th floor):

Word of the Day for Friday May 13, 2005
triskaidekaphobia \tris-ky-dek-uh-FOH-bee-uh\, noun:
A morbid fear of the number 13 or the date Friday the 13th.

Thirteen people, pledged to eliminate triskaidekaphobia, fear of the number 13, today tried to reassure American> sufferers by renting a 13 ft plot of land in Brooklyn for> 13 cents... a month.> --Daily Telegraph, January 14, 1967>> Past disasters linked to the number 13 hardly help> triskaidekaphobics overcome their affliction. The most> famous is the Apollo 13 mission, launched on April 11, 1970> (the sum of 4, 11 and 70 equals 85 - which when added
> 13:13 local time, and struck by an explosion on April 13.> --"It\'s just bad luck that the 13th is so often a Friday,"> [1]Electronic Telegraph, September 8, 1996> _________________________________________________________>> Triskaidekaphobia is a fairly new word (first found in print> in 1911) formed from Greek treiskaideka, triskaideka,> "thirteen" (treis, "three" + kai, "and" + deka, "ten") +> phobos, "fear." The adjective form is triskaidekaphobic. One> who fears the number 13 is a triskaidekaphobe or> triskaidekaphobic.>> There are many [2]theories about the origin of> triskaidekaphobia. In medieval Christian countries the number> 13 came to be considered unlucky because there were 13 persons> at the Last Supper of Christ. Fridays are also unlucky,> because the Crucifixion was on a Friday. Hence a Friday> falling on the thirteenth day would be regarded as especially> unlucky.> Some famous triskaidekaphobes1:> * Napoleon> * Herbert Hoover> * Mark Twain> * Richard Wagner> * Franklin Roosevelt>",1]
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> together comes to 13), from Pad 39 (three times 13) at> 13:13 local time, and struck by an explosion on April 13.> --"It's just bad luck that the 13th is so often a Friday,"> [1]Electronic Telegraph, September 8, 1996> _________________________________________________________>> Triskaidekaphobia is a fairly new word (first found in print> in 1911) formed from Greek treiskaideka, triskaideka,> "thirteen" (treis, "three" + kai, "and" + deka, "ten") +> phobos, "fear." The adjective form is triskaidekaphobic. One> who fears the number 13 is a triskaidekaphobe or> triskaidekaphobic.>> There are many [2]theories about the origin of> triskaidekaphobia. In medieval Christian countries the number> 13 came to be considered unlucky because there were 13 persons> at the Last Supper of Christ. Fridays are also unlucky,> because the Crucifixion was on a Friday. Hence a Friday> falling on the thirteenth day would be regarded as especially> unlucky.> Some famous triskaidekaphobes1:> * Napoleon> * Herbert Hoover> * Mark Twain> * Richard Wagner> * Franklin Roosevelt>
> Friday," [3]Daily Telegraph, September 8, 1996>>References>> 1. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/> 2. http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_080.html> 3. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/>>Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation>> http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=9&q=triskaidekaphobia>>Note: Audio pronunciation available only to Premium members.>To learn more about the benefits of Premium membership,>visit our site: http://dictionary.reference.com/premium/?r=9>>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ->>The Dictionary.com Toolbar for Internet Explorer: the world\'s>lightest reference library. It\'s free! http://tinyurl.com/2swc5>>_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._>",1]
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> 1. Source: "It's just bad luck that the 13th is so often a> Friday," [3]Daily Telegraph, September 8, 1996