Word of the Day: scapricciare — to indulge a whim, to get something out of your system

Scapricciare is built on capriccio — one of the most Italian of words, meaning a whim, a fancy, or a sudden desire. Capriccio comes from the Italian capro (goat) combined with riccio (hedgehog or bristle) — the original image was of hair standing on end from sudden fright, as a goat does, then of a sudden violent movement or impulse. In the 16th century, capriccio became associated with artistic improvisation — Goya's Caprichos, musical capriccios, the capriccio as a free-form composition following fancy rather than form. The prefix s- in scapricciare means 'un-' or 'out of' — to remove the capriccio from someone by satisfying it. The word reflects a distinctive Italian attitude toward desire: rather than disciplining it or suppressing it, one resolves it by giving it its due. Scapricicarsi therefore is a pragmatic act — you indulge the whim, you spend the desire, and then it is gone. The word is particularly used of children whose tantrums or demands are resolved by giving them what they want, but also of adults who indulge themselves in a particular pleasure, trip, or purchase.

Scapricciare reveals an interesting Italian relationship with desire and self-indulgence. The cultural attitude encoded in the word is pragmatic rather than puritanical: a capriccio is not a moral failing to be suppressed but an energy to be spent. Once you have scapriciato yourself, the desire passes and equilibrium is restored. This is a very Mediterranean approach to pleasure — the idea that the correct response to desire is measured satisfaction rather than denial. It contrasts with the Protestant-influenced cultures of northern Europe, where desire is more often seen as something to be controlled and managed. The word also appears frequently in the context of Italian food culture: allowing oneself a seasonal speciality, a particular wine, or a restaurant one cannot quite afford is a legitimate form of scapricicarsi, and it is encouraged rather than judged.