catawampus

catawampus
/kat'euh wom"peuhs/, Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S.
adj.
1. askew; awry.
2. positioned diagonally; cater-cornered.
adv.
3. diagonally; obliquely: We took a shortcut and walked catawampus across the field.
[1830-40 for earlier sense "utterly"; cata- diagonally (see CATER- CORNERED) + -wampus, perh. akin to WAMPISH]

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • catawampus — also catawampous, cattywampus, catiwampus, etc. (see Dictionary of American Slang for more), American colloquial. First element perhaps from obsolete cater to set or move diagonally (see CATTY CORNERED (Cf. catty cornered)); second element… …   Etymology dictionary

  • catawampus — ☆ catawampus [kat΄ə wäm′pəs ] adj. Dial. askew; awry …   English World dictionary

  • catawampus — 1. adjective /ˌkætəˈwɑmpəs,ˈkætəˌwɑmpəs/ a) Out of alignment, crooked, cater corner. Waal, I noticed ez the aidge o one o them boards war sot sorter catawampus, ... . b) Fierce, destructive. There air some catawampous chawers in the small way too …   Wiktionary

  • catawampus — adj. wild, brutal, cruel, destructive; inclined, diagonal, slanted …   English contemporary dictionary

  • catawampus — cat·a·wam·pus …   English syllables

  • catawampus — …   Useful english dictionary

  • cattywampus — variant of catawampus * * * /kat ee wom peuhs, kat euh /, adj., adv. Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S. catawampus …   Useful english dictionary

  • Le Livre des snobs — The Book of Snobs Le Livre des snobs (W. M. Thackeray, The Book of Snobs) Première de couverture de l édition originale …   Wikipédia en Français

  • cattywampus — /kat ee wom peuhs, kat euh /, adj., adv. Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S. catawampus. * * * …   Universalium

  • wampus — wampus1 /wom peuhs/, n., pl. wampuses. a strange or objectionable person; lout. [perh. extracted from CATAWAMPUS] wampus2 /wom peuhs/, n., pl. wampuses. wamus (def. 2). * * * …   Universalium

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