Lost Word Of The Day (58)

Are you ticklish? Are you lost for a word to describe the sensation of being tickled?

The answer to your prayers is gargalesthesia, a compound derived from the Greek word gargalos meaning itching and esthesia is the scientific term for the sensation caused by tickling. In 1897 psychologists, Stanley Hall and Arthur Allin, found it necessary to differentiate between knismesis, a light, feather-like form of tickling, and gargelesis, a more hardcore, laughter-inducing form of tickling.

The most ticklish areas of our anatomy are the feet, neck, navel, and ribs and Charles Darwin noted that tickling can strengthen the bond between parents and their newborns. For those of a particularly ticklish disposition, laughter can be induced by the anticipation of tickling.

Gargalesthsia can also contribute to weight reduction. Ten to fifteen minutes of laughter, according to the International Journal of Obesity, can burn of between ten and forty calories a day.

Let the tickling begin!