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we don't say "cocainism"
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this post was submitted on 27 Dec 2024
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askchapo
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It's more like an archaic suffix for diseases. Like "saturnism" (lead poisoning), "priapism" (pathological erection) or "cretinism" (congenital hypothyroidism). In some languages, the same suffix is used for tobacco addiction.
The anti-lead people had an incredibly marketing department. Saturnism sounds mysterious and galactic. Lead poisoning sounds gross and yucky.
Idk if that's the right way around
I was thinking big lead wanted you to feel bad so they called it saturnism. Then big anti-lead said nononono, it's LEAD POISONING! Open your eyes, sheeple
yeah I think it's mainly just that it entered the language earlier than other addictions
cretinism is not a disease when it's me doing it
Calling somebody "a senescent saturnist" has a different ring to it than calling them a lead-poisoned boomer.