Which is correct kitty-corner or catty-corner?
Which is correct kitty-corner or catty-corner?
This expression, meaning “diagonally opposite,” was formed from a misspelling in English of the French word quatre (“four”) prefixed to “corner.” Although the word has nothing to do with cats or kittens, in various dialects all three spellings are acceptable: “catty,” “cater” or “kitty.”
What does kitty-corner really mean?
diagonally
You use the term ‘Kitty-Corner’ to indicate that something is positioned diagonally. Example of use: “Our house is kitty-corner from the park.”
What is another word for kitty-corner?
What is another word for kitty-corner?
athwart | bias |
---|---|
diagonally | obliquely |
transversely | catercorner |
catty-corner | on the bias |
on the diagonal | aslant |
Is kitty-corner a bad word?
The bottom line is that kitty-corner is considered dialect and informal and you can spell it pretty much any way you want, although it does always take a hyphen. If you work for a formal publication, check how it’s spelled in your organization’s style guide or recommended dictionary.
Is Caddywhompus a real word?
Cattywampus is a variant of catawampus, another example of grand 19th century American slang. In addition to “askew” catawampus may refer to “an imaginary fierce wild animal,” or may mean “savage, destructive.”
What is caddy corner mean?
Something that is catty-corner or kitty-corner from another thing is placed or arranged diagonally from it. [US] There was a police car catty-corner across the street.
Is kitty-corner a Midwest thing?
Whether you say kitty-corner, catty-corner, or something else largely depends on your region. In a dialect survey of 10,000 people in the United States, nearly 50% of respondents said they used the word “kitty-corner.” These people were mostly concentrated in the northern states.
Where did the saying Cattywampus come from?
Catawampus, meaning “askew, diagonal,” is first recorded in the 1830–40s. Originally, catawampus also meant “fierce.” It’s thought to be an American colloquialism influenced by the cater- in cater-cornered (or for many of us, kitty-corner) and wampish, Scottish for “flopping about.”
What Does Kitty wampus mean?
Filters. (slang) Disorganized; poorly done; chaotic. adjective.
Where did the term Cattywampus come from?
Is the word kitty corner the same thing?
The word “kitty-corner” has many different variations: catty-corner, caddy-corner, cat-a-corner, or kit-a-corner. They all mean the same thing: something that is directionally diagonal from a certain point.
What does it mean when a cat is in a corner?
The word “kitty-corner” has many different variations: catty-corner, caddy-corner, cat-a-corner, or kit-a-corner. They all mean the same thing: something that is directionally diagonal from a certain point. Interestingly, despite all of the “cats” and “kits,” the word has nothing to do with domesticated felines.
What’s the difference between the hub and the catty corner?
Catty-corner is a variant of the same phrase. It means the same thing and can be used in all of the same contexts. The hub sits catty-corner to One World Trade and looms over the September 11th memorial pools.
Is the word kitty corner the same as Catawampus?
Other respondents used cater-corner, diagonal, or something else, and were scattered throughout the states. There are areas of the United States where the word “catawampus,” “kattywumpus,” or “kittywampus” mean the same thing as kitty-corner.