I’ve always wanted to talk about vocabulary, if only to help others just like myself. Being a non-native speaker, English vocabulary has always been a challenge. There are so many of them and a lot don’t even sound like English. Avoiding is not possible; facing it is frustrating. How to deal with the feeling of vocabulary doom? One new word a day is one of my solutions, in which I am going to explain, illustrate or curse a new word until the newness of the word disappears and the boredom of familiarity arises.
I learned this word “cacoethes” from Vivi’s poem entitled “Cacophony”. It means “an irresistible urge to do something inadvisable.” I know this urge. I did once have this urge to smash my Kindle Fire tablet when it stopped responding. I didn’t have the time to fish out the hammer from the toolbox. Instead I threw it to the wall, making one small dent and a slightly bigger dent.
My friend G threw her dinner at her mother-in-law who talked to G’s husband almost the entire time and ignored G’s presence. G is very contrite afterwards, both about losing her temper and the wastefulness of throwing away food. Her mother-in-law is a good cook and G loves her food. G has been living with the dilemma of loving her food and hating her personality forever. Cacoethes is the result.
Do you have an instance of cacoethes? Let me know and leave me a comment.
Haoyan Do 
I’m glad you loved that so much😃. Oh the cacoethes we feel but the need to suppress them.
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LOL. I love it and it has a quirky “w” sound in the pronunciation. LOL. Yes, it will be chaos if we don’t suppress them.
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A good way to learn new words, “ throw the tablet ”. When I’ll get my ways, I’ll inform you.😉🤭
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LOL. Yes, sometimes a little emotional turmoil helps you remember things.
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😂😂
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This was a new word to me, also. When my boss asked me what I thought of his stupid idea and I answered truthfully.
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LOL. That’s a great cacoethes. You did? I know it takes courage and cacoethes to do that.
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Yes. I was blunt, probably too blunt, in my younger days.
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👍😉😊
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Daily learning one new word will surely improve vocabulary. Thanks for idea.
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Thank you for the encouragement. LOL.
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That’s me and Chinese liquor, especially the “Little Knife” brand.
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LOL. That’s cacoethes, indeed. Aptly expressed.
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