What expressions can you use to refer to something diagonally across from something else at a normal cross-shaped intersection? I have always used the term “kitty corner” but have no idea why. Where did this phrase come from, and what alternatives are there? DFo some people say “kiddie corner”?
We always said ‘catacorner’ or ‘catty-corner’. Whatever, it beats saying ‘diagonally-across-from’.
Yeah, we’ve always said cata-corner…and I thought that when somebody said kitty-corner, they had misheard and repeated the term incorrectly…
Not that cata-corner makes that much sense literally.
According to Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary,
“kitty corner” (which is what I’ve alway’s said) is a variation of “catter corner.”
“cater corner” is of English derivation from about 1843. “Cater” is of an obscure origin a means “four-spot” (whatever that means). “corner” is self-explanatory.
the word detective wrote an excellent column on this word.
enjoy!
http://www.word-detective.com/back-c.html#cattycorner
there may be more as there are variations of the word. i would check out his list of past columns.
As the Word Detective noted, the origin was from the French quater, “four”, with “corner”. The evolution was then catercorner to cattycorner to kittycorner. In seeral areas of the U.S.,(notably Kentucky and southern Indiana), the American habit of taking a word and just running away with it has taken cattycorner and transmogrified it to cattywampus.
Thanks for the link. Ironically, I’ve never heard a Canadian use the term “catty-corner”.
you are quite welcome.