Phunny Phobias

If you met someone who was afraid of paper or wax statues, wouldn't you tell them to stop being so ridiculous and get over it? Every Monday, Null editor Hayley hand-picks another bizarre phobia and tries to work out whether it's real or rubbish.

The list so far:

Simantrophobia - the fear of church bells
Nomophobia - the fear of being without your mobile phone
Nucleomituphobia - the fear of nuclear weapons
Bambakophobia - the fear of cotton wool
Cardigan-phobia - the fear of cardigans
Optophobia - the fear of opening your eyes
Koniophobia - the fear of dust
Melophobia - the fear of music
Toursiphobia - the fear of pickles
Linonophobia - the fear of string
Pogonophobia - the fear of beards
Aurophobia - the fear of gold
Enetophobia - the fear of pins
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia - the fear of long words
Mxyophobia - the fear of slime
Spacephobia - the fear of outer space
Deipnobhobia - the fear of dinner parties
Kreavgophobia - the fear of Scotch eggs
Pluviophobia - the fear of being rained on
Wiccaphobia - the fear of witches and witchcraft
Hobophobia - the fear of bums and beggars
Alektorophobia - the fear of chickens
Heortophobia - the fear of holidays
Cyberphobia - the fear of working on computers
Zemmiphobia - the fear of the great mole rat
Lachanophobia - the fear of vegetables
Xanthophobia - the fear of the colour yellow
Genuphobia - the fear of knees
Hypengyophobia - the fear of responsibility
Kathisophobia - the fear of sitting down
Bathmophobia - the fear of steep slopes
Odontophobia - the fear of dentists/teeth
Megalophobia - the fear of large things
Scriptophobia - the fear of writing in public
Paraskavedekatriaphobia - the fear of Friday 13th
Decidophobia - the fear of making decisions
Meteorophobia - the fear of meteors
Coulrophobia - the fear of clowns
Symmetrophobia - the fear of symmetry
Pentheraphobia - the fear of the mother-in-law
Apeirophobia - the fear of infinity
Philematophobia - the fear of kissing
Panphobia - the fear of everything
Arachibutyrophobia - the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth