Catercorner definition please

D

Danny McG

Lid closed, monkey dead.
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Sep 9, 2016
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Location
Cumbria UK
In a book I'm currently reading:-

"She handed him his coffee then sat in a chair catercorner to him"

Google gives similar sentences as an example, but doesn't seem to state the meaning of this word.
First time I've ever came up against it.
Anyone help please?
Danny
 
We used this word to indicate things like a neighbor's house that was across the street and to the left or right of the one directly across from us. So the chair would be across from him and one seat left or right from the one directly across from him.
 
Right. Gotcha, thanks for that. For some reason I interpreted it as sitting just outside your line of sight ( like psychiatrist's on television shows) and that's why I got confused in the book - they held eye contact.
 
Yup, diagonally placed. And catacorner. :D

Actually Merriam Webster acknowledges no fewer than eight allowable spellings. Sorry, Cathbad, yours is not one of them. :p
 
TheDustyZebra said:
Yup, diagonally placed. And catacorner. :D

Actually Merriam Webster acknowledges no fewer than eight allowable spellings. Sorry, Cathbad, yours is not one of them. :p
Click to expand...

I can't believe it! Eight spellings for some word I've never heard of. Incredible
 
adjective, adverb
(US & Canadian, informal) diagonally placed; diagonal Also catty-cornered, kitty-cornered. C16 cater, from dialect cater (adv) diagonally, from obsolete cater (n) four-spot of dice, from Old French quatre four, from Latin quattuor.
Click to expand...

I'm still looking for a referent to what --(-n-)-- might mean but am certain it doesn't mean thumbs down.


Then there is Cattywompus (urban-slang)
which seems to cover everything from diagonal to helter skelter and askew
 
Last edited:
OMG

I was just reading a US patent instruction form that says "cater-corner" and my mother always said "kitty corner" so I googled it. There is a map of various usage across the United States.
 
You're going to be in real trouble when you try to put distance and direction to to "o'er-yonder."
(o'er, ova', ober, and over regionally distinct.)

K2
 
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