Baskerville effect

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to navigation Jump to search

English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Named after the Baskerville family from Arthur Conan Doyle's crime novel The Hound of the Baskervilles.

Noun[edit]

Baskerville effect (plural Baskerville effects)

  1. (uncommon) The alleged self-fulfilling prophecy that there is an increase in rate of mortality through heart attacks on days considered unlucky because of the psychological stress this causes on superstitious people.
    Synonym: Hound of the Baskervilles effect

Further reading[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Baskerville_effect&oldid=79206363"