The word "homophobic"

[UnquietDad]

Brings out the pedant in me.

It's used so glibly, and yet it doesn't mean what people think it means.

Broken down, "homo-phobic" just means "fear of that which is the same". Which is surely the opposite of what's being implied here - being nasty to gay people because they are different.

In fact, "heterophobic" would cover it!

While I'm here - "chocoholic". Why? Someone addicted to alcohol is an alcoholic, so surely someone "addicted" to chocolate is a "chocolateic", and someone who works a lot is a "workic."

And don't get me started on "-gate" as a suffix...

but isn't the "ic" in alcoholic the suffix?
Wouldn't that make someone addicted to chocolate a chocic or chocolateic?

Chumbawumba claimed it was "the worst disease" on their seminal 1993 album "Anarchy" (also featuring "Enough is Enough" and "Timebomb").

I'd say Bubonic Plague and Alzheimer's trump it, myself.

There you go latin vs greek. Told you I was thick.

Ha ha! Glad to be of help. God knows, I have homogenized enough washing over the years...