space herpes

English

Noun

space herpes (uncountable)

1. (science fiction, ufology, fandom slang, slang) A generic disease found in space, especially one transmissible by sexual encounters.
   • 1985, “1984 entertainment: Movies to see and shun”, in Michiganensian‎^[1], volume 89, page 60:

     Ice Pirates “A ‘Star Wars’ rip-off with S&M scenes, twelfth-rate jokes, and ‘space herpes’”

   • 2009 September 17, Wil Wheaton, quotee, “Wil Wheaton's ‘Memories of the Futurecast’ Engages us With Awesome”, in Wired‎^[2]:

     Oh! Did we mention that there are families aboard the Enterprise? Yeah, it turns out there are. Because Starfleet did this study and realized that Space Herpes - also known as Kirk's Syndrome - spreads considerably slower if its officers have their spouses and children onboard their ship.

   • 2010, P. I. Barrington, Gail Delaney, J. Morgan, Borealis I‎^[3]:

     “Space herpes got your tongue, boy?” The man came to a stop in front of him. ¶ For some reason the idea of a mutated venereal disease frightened him more than the idea this man could mug him or worse.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:space herpes.

Coordinate terms

• shingles (skin condition from reactivated VZV herpesvirus in later life)