ALIE WARD: Carrie Studard wants to know: “Are there any synonyms for the most hated word, ‘moist’?”

HZ: Moist. Do you hate the word ‘moist’? 

ALIE WARD: At this point, it's an underdog. You know what I mean? Like, can moist live? Can it just do its business? I don't hate it. 

HZ: It's fine. 

ALIE WARD: I don't hate it. I tend to think of dew or grass more than I think of... 

HZ: Well, that's a lovely form of moisture. I suppose the people who hate it are maybe thinking of bodily crevices. And that's their prejudice showing. 

ALIE WARD: Yes, it is. 

HZ: Yeah. Because other words like ‘damp’ - I mean, if you're moist from the rain, like a raincoat. Damp. Is that better? Is that worse? A bodily crevice could also be damp. 

ALIE WARD: Sure. I feel like moist has a certain heat to it that damp lacks. 

HZ: A steaminess rather than chilliness. It's good that we're figuring these things out.