Needing a word to help describe an effect, I remembered the word 'steric' from my school chemistry days. I tried asking Google if the word was used in contexts other than chemistry but I seem to have the Essex girl version of Google AI. Then I tried SOL's search and found
"That's hard to keep apart. They call you hook nose for a few years, and you'll start seeing it their way. Besides, it tends to get in the way."
"You mean when you're kissing? Steric inhibition?"
in his story Nosy Witch.
That's good enough for me: how can anyone argue with an authority like Argon!
Q: Why is 'steric' laughing or crying uncontrollably?
A: Because it's in hysterics.
AJ