# "Kitty Corner" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 10, 2001, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kitty-corner/49359 "2001-01-10T17:24:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kitty-corner/49359/1 "2001-01-10T17:24:52Z")
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”? ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kitty-corner/49359/2 "2001-01-10T17:32:07Z")
We always said ‘catacorner’ or ‘catty-corner’. Whatever, it beats saying ‘diagonally-across-from’. ---
**Author:** ![jeel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/71e660/32.png) [@jeel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jeel)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kitty-corner/49359/3 "2001-01-10T17:35:41Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kitty-corner/49359/4 "2001-01-10T17:36:35Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![kjorsty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kjorsty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kjorsty)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kitty-corner/49359/5 "2001-01-10T18:41:58Z")
the word detective wrote an excellent column on this word. enjoy! [http://www.word-detective.com/back-c.html#cattycorner](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. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kitty-corner/49359/6 "2001-01-10T19:29:12Z")
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_. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kitty-corner/49359/7 "2001-01-10T19:29:25Z")
Thanks for the link. Ironically, I’ve never heard a Canadian use the term “catty-corner”. ---
**Author:** ![kjorsty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kjorsty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kjorsty)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kitty-corner/49359/8 "2001-01-10T21:19:23Z")
you are quite welcome.