Pronunciation Edit

Etymology 1 Edit

The first part may be related to cater-corner. The second part may be related to wampish (“wriggle, twist about like a fish”).

Adjective Edit

catawampus (comparative more catawampus, superlative most catawampus)

( US ) Out of alignment, in disarray or disorder: crooked, askew. 1885, Charles Egbert Craddock, Down the Ravine : "Waal, I noticed ez the aidge o' one o' them boards war sot sorter catawampus, ...".

Alternative forms Edit

catawampous

catawamptious

( influenced by cat , catty , kitty ) cattywampus, cattywampous; kittywampus, kittywumpus

cattywampus, cattywampous; kittywampus, kittywumpus ( with other initial elements ) caddywompus, caliwampus, caliwampous; cankywampus

Synonyms Edit

( out of alignment ) : askew, awry, crooked, off-kilter; skewampus / skiwampus

askew, awry, crooked, off-kilter; skewampus / skiwampus ( fierce, destructive ) : destructive, fierce

Translations Edit

out of alignment, crooked, cater-corner

fierce, destructive

Adverb Edit

catawampus (comparative more catawampus, superlative most catawampus)

Etymology 2 Edit

Perhaps from catamount (“cougar, puma, lynx”), influenced by the adjective above.

Noun Edit

catawampus (plural catawampuses)

( US ) A fierce imaginary animal, a bogeyman.

Translations Edit

fierce imaginary animal

Adjective Edit

catawampus (comparative more catawampus, superlative most catawampus)

( US ) Fierce, destructive. 1844, The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit : Charles Dickens , chapter 21, in There air some catawampous chawers in the small way too, as graze upon a human pretty strong; but don't mind them, they're company.

References Edit

Jonathan E. Lighter, Historical Dictionary of American Slang, Volume I, A-G . Random House USA, 1994. →ISBN.

. Random House USA, 1994. →ISBN. Frederic G. Cassidy and Joan Houston Hall, Dictionary of American Regional English . Harvard University Press, 1985-2012.

. Harvard University Press, 1985-2012. Eric Partridge, The Routledge Dictionary of Historical Slang . Routledge, 1973. →ISBN.

. Routledge, 1973. →ISBN. “catawampus” in Mrs. Byrne [Josefa Heifetz Byrne], Mrs. Byrne’s Dictionary of Unusual, Obscure and Preposterous Words: Gathered from Numerous and Diverse Authoritative Sources , London: Granada Publishing, 1979, →ISBN .