visual guilt
n.— «You might think that given the opportunity to book their own business trips, more people would opt for more-expensive choices, like a nicer hotel or a perfectly timed—and pricier—flight. But travel-management companies have discovered that many executives like Mr. Hayes opt for cheaper choices than corporate travel agents or administrative assistants would book simply because they saw lower prices on an online booking screen. There’s a term for it now: “visual guilt.”» —“Exploiting Travelers’ ‘Visual Guilt’” by Scott McCartney Wall Street Journal July 25, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Listeners like you make up more than half the funding of A Way with Words through donations. And the radio show/podcast still hasn’t raised enough funds to ensure new episodes in 2025. There are less than two...
Colette Hiller’s Colossal Words for Kids: 75 Tremendous Words: Neatly Defined to Stick in the Mind (Bookshop|Amazon) uses clever rhymes to help children learn big, fun-to-say words like magnanimous, discombobulated, and acquiesce. This...