One indication that a disease is prevalent in the general population is when it appears in literary offerings, is depicted in paintings by the old masters, and when it is given a colloquial name that bears no resemblance to the causative organism. Dermatophyte or ringworm infections have achieved this notoriety with the ignominious epithets of ‘athlete's foot’ and ‘jock itch’ being applied to infection of various body parts. Although not life-threatening, superficial mycoses due to dermatophyte fungi have been amongst the most communicable diseases in the population since antiquity and have considerable social and health-economic implications.