cattywampus or cattywompus
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- Lexiterian
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cattywampus or cattywompus
adj. - something that is askew.
EBERNTSON
Fear less, hope more;
eat less, chew more;
whine less, breathe more;
talk less, say more,
and all good things will be yours.
--R. Burns
Fear less, hope more;
eat less, chew more;
whine less, breathe more;
talk less, say more,
and all good things will be yours.
--R. Burns
- Slava
- Great Grand Panjandrum
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Re: cattywampus or cattywompus
Talk to me here. What are you trying to say? I don't know what you are looking for with this post.
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.
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- Lexiterian
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Re: cattywampus or cattywompus
Sorry, I was interrupted typing this must have saved it.
My questions, what is this word. "catty"+"wampus" with nothing to do with "askew" in my mind. Wompus was a game humting a Wompus and refers to the monster itself. Catty is related to "cater" meaning multiple corners, and comes from Norther German. There seems to be a cluster of word that are all related, i.e. catawampus, kittywampus (slang), skewampus, catercorner. Although there is no definite source and I can't find a timeline for the word. It is obvious slang, so I don't think it is a "real" word.
My questions, what is this word. "catty"+"wampus" with nothing to do with "askew" in my mind. Wompus was a game humting a Wompus and refers to the monster itself. Catty is related to "cater" meaning multiple corners, and comes from Norther German. There seems to be a cluster of word that are all related, i.e. catawampus, kittywampus (slang), skewampus, catercorner. Although there is no definite source and I can't find a timeline for the word. It is obvious slang, so I don't think it is a "real" word.
EBERNTSON
Fear less, hope more;
eat less, chew more;
whine less, breathe more;
talk less, say more,
and all good things will be yours.
--R. Burns
Fear less, hope more;
eat less, chew more;
whine less, breathe more;
talk less, say more,
and all good things will be yours.
--R. Burns
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- Great Grand Panjandrum
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Re: cattywampus or cattywompus
Well, you taught me some things anyway. I always assume the cat referred obscurely to the feline persuasion. I also hear both cattycorner and kittycorner. Reckon these are related to the wompus or possibly a wombat?
pl
Re: cattywampus or cattywompus
Catercorner is from out of square. Common English speakers tried to impose more familiar words onto this sound, regardless of whether the result made any more sense: catty-corner, then kitty-corner. I think the Good Doctor did an essay on folk etymology, especially with regards to this word.
Cattywompus is an example of people talking a word like catercorner through a series of folk etymologies until they just start making things up completely. U.S. English is replete with rather ridiculous 'words' which are fun to say.
Cattywompus is an example of people talking a word like catercorner through a series of folk etymologies until they just start making things up completely. U.S. English is replete with rather ridiculous 'words' which are fun to say.
- Slava
- Great Grand Panjandrum
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- Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2006 9:31 am
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Re: cattywampus or cattywompus
Aye, the Good Doctor has been here and done this.
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.
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- Great Grand Panjandrum
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Re: cattywampus or cattywompus
The out of whack words discussed in this thread have never entered my vocabulary or caused me to give any pause as to their meaning.
It is dark at night, but the Sun will come up and then we can see.
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