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Date Posted: 07:55:32 04/23/07 Mon
Author: Ye Editor
Author Host/IP: adsl-227-26-238.jan.bellsouth.net / 74.227.26.238
Subject: Southern expression

Another question for Ye Editor:

> Date: Sun, 22 Apr 2007 20:45:20 -0700
> From: indie0385........
> Subject: southern expression
> To: bethjacks@hotmail.com
>
> i was wondering if anyone knew where the word cattywompass (sp?) came from. thanks, lauren from tx
___________________________________________

Good morning, Lauren ~

I found this for you:

catawampus

It's a "grandma word" which means crooked or off-center in an American dialect.

A friend found the following in an unabridged dictionary (Random House -- guess that's what they're for): Of Midland and Southern origin. Means: 1) askew, awry 2) positioned diagonally 3) obliquely, as in "we made a shortcut catawampus through the cotton fields"

Derivation: 1830-40's for earlier sense "utterly" cata = diagonally, as in cater cornered, from obsolete cater for four (4), probably from quarter wampus = perhaps akin to wampish, of Scottish origin 1810-20, to wave about or flop to and fro, apparently of expressive origin.


Hope that helps. Thanks for writing!

BBJ

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