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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread catawampus #5224 08/13/00 05:58 AM Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 3,065 Jakarta B Bingley OP Carpal Tunnel OP Bingley Carpal Tunnel B Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 3,065 Jakarta Shock, horror, gasp. I have found an error in two of our most trusted online logophile sites. In discussing "catawampus" Random House http:// http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=19981015 says it is first recorded in the 1850s, while The Word Detective http:// http://www.word-detective.com/100297.html#cattywampus dates it to the 1880s "or earlier". In fact, Charles Dickens uses the word in Martin Chuzzlewit, written 1843-4, just after a visit to the US. Part of the action takes place in the US, and one of the locals is quoted as saying, "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." For it to have come to Dickens's attention in a short visit, it must have already been well established. Can anyone find an earlier reference? Bingley Bingley Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: catawampus #5225 08/15/00 05:35 PM Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass tsuwm Carpal Tunnel tsuwm Carpal Tunnel Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass the earliest citation given by the OED is 1/23/1840, in a publication named "Spirit of Times", and used as a noun in the sense of some fierce beast (which lends some credence to the notion that it was an alteration of 'catamount'). how it morphed from meaning 'fierce' to meaning 'askew' is also a mystery. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: catawampus #5226 08/16/00 04:17 AM Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 3,065 Jakarta B Bingley OP Carpal Tunnel OP Bingley Carpal Tunnel B Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 3,065 Jakarta Thank you tswum, I knew I could count on you. Bingley Bingley Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Website Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary Forum Statistics Forums16 Topics13,913 Posts229,322 Members9,182 Most Online3,341 Dec 9th, 2011 Newest Members Ineffable, ddrinnan, TRIALNERRA, befuddledmind, KILL_YOUR_SUV 9,182 Registered Users Who's Online Now 0 members (), 635 guests, and 0 robots. Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod Top Posters(30 Days) wofahulicodoc 25 A C Bowden 15 ddrinnan 1 Top Posters wwh 13,858 Faldage 13,803 Jackie 11,613 tsuwm 10,542 wofahulicodoc 10,535 LukeJavan8 9,916 Buffalo Shrdlu 7,210 AnnaStrophic 6,511 Wordwind 6,296 of troy 5,400

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