Some pregnant women are said to suffer from pica but I have never actually met one. Pica is the craving for eating non-comestible items like chalk and ashes. It is pronounced PIKE-er and the word has been around since 1563.
It appears to have its origins in the habits of the Magpie (French pica and now scientific name Pica pica). Known for picking up glittery things, Magpies were thought to eat them.
