cartocacoethes
n.— Note: Related to cacoethes. «Indeed, many prehistoric “maps” may be the result of cartocacoethes—a mania, uncontrollable urge, compulsion or itch to see maps everywhere. Map simulacra like chipped paint: a stone China: a mud puddle Australia: and “geographic tongue:” —a medical condition that “looks like a map.”» —“Cartocacoethes: Why the World’s Oldest Map Isn’t a Map” Making Maps: DIY Cartography Oct. 13, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
When Kentrell from West Memphis, Arkansas, worked for a granite company, his co-workers who were about to put two pieces of granite together would say I’m going to pull a seam. But why would they use the word pull for the action of pushing...
One secret to writing well is … there is no secret! There’s no substitute for simply sitting down day after day to practice the craft and learn from your mistakes. Plus, childhood mixups around word definitions can lead to some funny stories...