Alert Reader Kevin K. writes:
"Hey! What are the origins of: catywhompus/katywhopous? A patient just said it and would love to tell them where it's from."
Cattywampus originated in the mid 1800s as a slang for diagonal or askew, similar to the expression "catty-cornered." Its generally accepted spelling is "cattywampus" but it is also seen as "catawampus." Its meaning of diagonal or askew physically later expanded to askew situationally as well. So a picture frame could be cattywampus if it wasn't hung straight or a situation could go "cattywampus" on its way to being a complete "clusterfuck."
No comments:
Post a Comment