---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My robust lexicon notwithstanding, I…"
description: "\"“My robust lexicon notwithstanding, I struggle to find the right words to describe just how much I despise, hate, abhor, revile, detest and categorical..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/313/rachel-held-evans-2876_abhor_my-robust-lexicon-notwithstanding-i-stru_49276.jpg"
---

#  My robust lexicon notwithstanding, I struggle to find the…

![“My robust lexicon notwithstanding, I struggle to find the right words to describe just how much I despise, hate, abhor, revile, detest and categorically abominate anything to do with home maintenance. While cooking strikes me as an essentially creative act, cleaning seems little more than an…” quote by Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/313/rachel-held-evans-2876_abhor_my-robust-lexicon-notwithstanding-i-stru_49276.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/313/rachel-held-evans-2876_abhor_my-robust-lexicon-notwithstanding-i-stru_49276.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/313/rachel-held-evans-2876_abhor_my-robust-lexicon-notwithstanding-i-stru_49276.jpg)

> ““My robust lexicon notwithstanding, I struggle to find the right words to describe just how much I despise, hate, abhor, revile, detest and categorically abominate anything to do with home maintenance. While cooking strikes me as an essentially creative act, cleaning seems little more than an exercise in decay management, enough to trigger an existential crisis each time the ring around the toilet bowl reappears.””

[Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker expresses deep aversion to household chores, especially cleaning, contrasting it with the creativity of cooking, and feels existential dread when confronted with such tasks.

**In simple terms:** Household chores feel oppressive and existentially draining.

Key Takeaway

Cleaning triggers profound disgust and crisis.

Themes

aversion existential dread creative vs. mundane domestic labor psychological discomfort

Mood

frustration irony disgust

Type

humorous personal reflection hyperbolic

When to use this quote

- when faced with a dirty bathroom
- during routine cleaning
- while cooking a meal
- when household chores pile up

Key Concepts

home maintenance creative cooking psychological aversion existential crisis

Practical Applications

- use as a humorous illustration of chore fatigue
- highlight contrast between creative and mundane tasks

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do some chores feel more existential than others?
- How can we reframe cleaning to reduce dread?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Abhor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abhor/) [Creative act](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-act/) [Existential crisis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existential-crisis/) [Right words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-words/)

## Related quotes

> [The more I read, the more I was led to abhor and detest my enslavers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/the-more-i-read-the-more-i-was-led-to-abhor-and-detest-my-enslavers/)

[Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/)

> [These cardinals trifle with me; I abhor; This dilatory sloth and tricks of Rome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/these-cardinals-trifle-with-me-i-abhor-this-dilatory-sloth-and-tricks/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [I abhor nothing more than bumping into someone I know on the Tube.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-smith/i-abhor-nothing-more-than-bumping-into-someone-i-know-on-the-tube/)

[Arthur Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-smith/)

> [I abhor 'baby talk.' I speak to kids like I would any other person, and they seem to respond to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-sommer/i-abhor-baby-talk-i-speak-to-kids-like-i-would-any-other-person-and/)

[Rich Sommer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-sommer/)

> [“I love Hitler for his leadership, but I abhor his actions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/i-love-hitler-for-his-leadership-but-i-abhor-his-actions/)

[M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/)

> [“Nature abhors a gradient.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorion-sagan-eric-schneider/nature-abhors-a-gradient/)

Dorion Sagan Eric Schneider

> [The American people abhor a vacuum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/the-american-people-abhor-a-vacuum/)

[Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/)

> [As a liberal and progressive, I abhor the notion of conflict and bloodshed and very much want to find a diplomatic solution to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-bronfman-sr/as-a-liberal-and-progressive-i-abhor-the-notion-of-conflict-and/)

[Edgar Bronfman, Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-bronfman-sr/)

> [I abhor anything that constitutes torture. Water-boarding, its perfectly clear to me it is torture. I never supported extraordinary rendition to torture, always said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-miliband/i-abhor-anything-that-constitutes-torture-water-boarding-its/)

[David Miliband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-miliband/)

> [Few things loves better Than to abhor himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/few-things-loves-better-than-to-abhor-himself/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [I abhor a hoe. I am fond of flowers but not of dirt, and had rather buy them than cultivate them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyman-abbott/i-abhor-a-hoe-i-am-fond-of-flowers-but-not-of-dirt-and-had-rather-buy/)

[Lyman Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyman-abbott/)

> [One of Dawkins' major gripes is against religion. I am in total agreement on that one. I abhor religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-comfort/one-of-dawkins-major-gripes-is-against-religion-i-am-in-total/)

[Ray Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-comfort/)

> [People who abhor solitude may abhor company almost as much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/people-who-abhor-solitude-may-abhor-company-almost-as-much/)

[Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/)

> [I abhor crime novels in which the main character can behave however he or she pleases, or do things that normal people do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-abhor-crime-novels-in-which-the-main-character-can-behave-however/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Understand their hatred is beyond human comprehension. They abhor the Creator and so also the creation. Whatever brings joy, whatever brings peace, whatever redeems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-yancey/understand-their-hatred-is-beyond-human-comprehension-they-abhor-the/)

[Rick Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-yancey/)

## More by Rachel Held Evans

> [“So what did God say to me in the silence that morning? I’m not sure, but I think God said something like, Don’t try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/so-what-did-god-say-to-me-in-the-silence-that-morning-i-m-not-sure/)

[Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/)

> [I'm a Christian because Christianity names and addresses sin. It acknowledges the reality that the evil we observe in the world is also present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/i-m-a-christian-because-christianity-names-and-addresses-sin-it/)

[Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/)

> [“Some rabbis say that, at birth, we are each tied to God with a string, and that every time we sin, the string breaks.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/some-rabbis-say-that-at-birth-we-are-each-tied-to-god-with-a-string/)

[Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/)

> [One of the most destructive mistakes we Christians make is to prioritize shared beliefs over shared relationship, which is deeply ironic considering we worship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/one-of-the-most-destructive-mistakes-we-christians-make-is-to/)

[Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/)

> [This is what God's kingdom is like: a bunch of outcasts and oddballs gathered at a table, not because they are rich or worthy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/this-is-what-god-s-kingdom-is-like-a-bunch-of-outcasts-and-oddballs/)

[Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/)

> [“I don’t know for sure, but I think maybe God was trying to tell me that gentleness begins with strength, quietness with security. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/i-don-t-know-for-sure-but-i-think-maybe-god-was-trying-to-tell-me/)

[Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/)

> [Whenever we show others the goodness of God, whenever we follow our Teacher by imitating His posture of humble and ready service, our actions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/whenever-we-show-others-the-goodness-of-god-whenever-we-follow-our/)

[Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/)

> [Faith isn't about having everything figured out ahead of time; faith is about following the quiet voice of God without having everything figured out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/faith-isn-t-about-having-everything-figured-out-ahead-of-time-faith/)

[Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/)

> [Christianity isn't meant to simply be believed; it's meant to be lived, shared, eaten, spoken, and enacted in the presence of other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/christianity-isn-t-meant-to-simply-be-believed-it-s-meant-to-be-lived/)

[Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/)

> [“In the years preceding the Civil War in America, Christian ministers wrote nearly half of all defenses of slavery.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/in-the-years-preceding-the-civil-war-in-america-christian-ministers/)

[Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/)

> [“Cynicism may seem a mild transgression, but it is a patient predator that suffocates hope, slowly, over many years,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/cynicism-may-seem-a-mild-transgression-but-it-is-a-patient-predator/)

[Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/)

> [“I suppose that the moral of this story is that trying to copy another woman, even a woman from the Bible, is almost always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/i-suppose-that-the-moral-of-this-story-is-that-trying-to-copy-another/)

[Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/)

> [“I played my role as the good Christian girl and spared everyone the drama of an argument. But that decision to remain silent split…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/i-played-my-role-as-the-good-christian-girl-and-spared-everyone-the/)

[Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/)

> [“Madeleine L’Engle said, “the great thing about getting older is that you don’t lose all the other ages you’ve been.” 58 I think the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/madeleine-l-engle-said-the-great-thing-about-getting-older-is-that/)

[Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/)

> [In an age of information overload ... the last thing any of us needs is more information about God. We need the practice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/in-an-age-of-information-overload-the-last-thing-any-of-us-needs-is/)

[Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/)

[Explore all 147 Rachel Held Evans quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/)

## More Abhor quotes

> [These cardinals trifle with me; I abhor; This dilatory sloth and tricks of Rome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/these-cardinals-trifle-with-me-i-abhor-this-dilatory-sloth-and-tricks/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [I abhor crime novels in which the main character can behave however he or she pleases, or do things that normal people do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-abhor-crime-novels-in-which-the-main-character-can-behave-however/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [People who abhor solitude may abhor company almost as much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/people-who-abhor-solitude-may-abhor-company-almost-as-much/)

[Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/)

> [One of Dawkins' major gripes is against religion. I am in total agreement on that one. I abhor religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-comfort/one-of-dawkins-major-gripes-is-against-religion-i-am-in-total/)

[Ray Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-comfort/)

> [I abhor a hoe. I am fond of flowers but not of dirt, and had rather buy them than cultivate them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyman-abbott/i-abhor-a-hoe-i-am-fond-of-flowers-but-not-of-dirt-and-had-rather-buy/)

[Lyman Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyman-abbott/)

> [Few things loves better Than to abhor himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/few-things-loves-better-than-to-abhor-himself/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [I abhor anything that constitutes torture. Water-boarding, its perfectly clear to me it is torture. I never supported extraordinary rendition to torture, always said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-miliband/i-abhor-anything-that-constitutes-torture-water-boarding-its/)

[David Miliband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-miliband/)

> [As a liberal and progressive, I abhor the notion of conflict and bloodshed and very much want to find a diplomatic solution to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-bronfman-sr/as-a-liberal-and-progressive-i-abhor-the-notion-of-conflict-and/)

[Edgar Bronfman, Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-bronfman-sr/)

> [The more I read, the more I was led to abhor and detest my enslavers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/the-more-i-read-the-more-i-was-led-to-abhor-and-detest-my-enslavers/)

[Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/)

> [The American people abhor a vacuum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/the-american-people-abhor-a-vacuum/)

[Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/)

> [“Nature abhors a gradient.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorion-sagan-eric-schneider/nature-abhors-a-gradient/)

Dorion Sagan Eric Schneider

> [“I love Hitler for his leadership, but I abhor his actions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/i-love-hitler-for-his-leadership-but-i-abhor-his-actions/)

[M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/)

> [I abhor 'baby talk.' I speak to kids like I would any other person, and they seem to respond to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-sommer/i-abhor-baby-talk-i-speak-to-kids-like-i-would-any-other-person-and/)

[Rich Sommer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-sommer/)

> [I abhor nothing more than bumping into someone I know on the Tube.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-smith/i-abhor-nothing-more-than-bumping-into-someone-i-know-on-the-tube/)

[Arthur Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-smith/)

> [“Understand their hatred is beyond human comprehension. They abhor the Creator and so also the creation. Whatever brings joy, whatever brings peace, whatever redeems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-yancey/understand-their-hatred-is-beyond-human-comprehension-they-abhor-the/)

[Rick Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-yancey/)

[Browse all 35 Abhor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abhor/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“My robust lexicon notwithstanding, I struggle to find the right words to describe just how much I despise, hate, abhor, revile, detest and categorically abominate anything to do with home maintenance. While cooking strikes me as an essentially creative act, cleaning seems little more than an exercise in decay management, enough to trigger an existential crisis each time the ring around the toilet bowl reappears.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Rachel Held Evans"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/my-robust-lexicon-notwithstanding-i-struggle-to-find-the-right-words/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Abhor"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/my-robust-lexicon-notwithstanding-i-struggle-to-find-the-right-words/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/313/rachel-held-evans-2876_abhor_my-robust-lexicon-notwithstanding-i-stru_49276.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/313/rachel-held-evans-2876_abhor_my-robust-lexicon-notwithstanding-i-stru_49276.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/313/rachel-held-evans-2876_abhor_my-robust-lexicon-notwithstanding-i-stru_49276.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“My robust lexicon notwithstanding, I struggle to find the right words to describe just how much I despise…” — Rachel Held Evans",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Rachel Held Evans",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“My robust lexicon notwithstanding, I struggle...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/my-robust-lexicon-notwithstanding-i-struggle-to-find-the-right-words/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/my-robust-lexicon-notwithstanding-i-struggle-to-find-the-right-words/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
