Proposed new term: Negs

Basically, something that has a negative association/reaction for you, but not as severe as a trigger. As far as I can tell, there isn't really a term for it? The only other term related into trigger that I've seen is "squick" and that's a distinctively different thing - it's disgust-related, while negs tend to be more anxiety-type-thing related.

Like, for example, I have a mild panic reaction to finding Unknown Bits of plant stuck to my clothes/bedding, because I lived for years with Pot Grower Secrets, and so of course the plants that were stuck to me were always pot, and I definitely couldn't be seen with it on my clothes outside the house. But it's not nearly intense enough of a reaction for me to label it a trigger, because once I go "Nai, you're living with the most Upper Middle Class Good Family you've ever known, that's not pot," I can calm down pretty easily.

So it's a neg. Thoughts?

 

The term "negs" reminds me of the Pick Up Artist term "negging," so... I'm not sure if I like "negs" as the term for this concept.

 

What's the word for... like, you see something you don't like, you do a kind of grimace and suck air in through your teeth? The inward hissing sound? If there is a word for that i would suggest it, especially if otomono....onomoto... that thing where the word sounds like the noise the thing makes.

 

onomatopoeia.

Ah, true, I forgot about that. It's definitely a Thing that Needs Term, though.

 

Would "downer" work?

 

Yeah all I can see is the PUA context. Definitely pick a different word.

 

As I noted in the top, squick to me implies a disgust-reaction, not a stress-reaction. It's an existing term, so it already has Context and Connotations that are different.

Which is the same kind of issue with this one, except it's depression-reaction instead. Thinking about my cat being in another state is a downer.

 

Yeah, this is thing-that-needs-a-word. None of the ones suggested here really feel right but the need is definite.

 

Going with the onomatopoeia idea I'd try coming up with a few written renditions of the inwards-hissing sound but rn it would probably turn out to be pretty lisp-y? I think my cheek is still a swollen from wisdom teeth extraction and I can't quite do hissy sounds as sharp as I'd want. Unless you are okay with a th-based word someone else might be better suited to the task.
more annoyed sounds a bit like tiffth (which is goofy i know but I do the tongue clicky thing when I'm annoyed, sorry)
more just anxiety-not-okay-don't-like sound would be... fith/fiss?

A Fiss?

 

Oddly enough, I'm thinking "fwit"

 

I think I'm disliking the otomatopeia solution because none of those are sounds I like in response to this particular thing. Will wait for the rest of polling.

 

... oh dear, first ambien dial here. Yes, it sounds like a less-awesome idea outside the influence of sleeping pills.

(... flinch, maybe? hmm, not quite...)

 

Okay, sorting out what we've discussed so far:
Trigger = severe panic instigator, we all know what this is and how broadly it gets applied.
Squick = relatively mild, more disgust-based instigator
Downer = relatively mild, more depression/mood-based instigator
Neg = more anxiety-based instigator, and too much association to the jerkass pick up style.

I'm not sure what other associations it has, but would "stressor" work?

 

The organization helps, but I think "stressor" is too vague. What about "startle"? Possibly variation with just "starts"?

 

Maybe some variation on the phrase "heebie-jeebies?"

 

Jeebs as in "This thing is a 'jeebs' for me"?

 

I want to make some kind of joke about the difference between a jeebs and a seebs but I can't think of one.

 

Jeebs makes me think of the 90s search engine "Ask Jeeves", but I might be dating myself.