Baskerville effect

English

Etymology

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

Noun

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

• Baskerville effect on Wikipedia.Wikipedia