General
catty-corner
What does catty-corner mean?
Positioned or set at a diagonal, especially across an intersection. "Cattycorner" is the more Southern-flavored variant.
"The hardware store is catty-corner from the church."
Origin
From older "cater-corner," where "cater" meant "diagonal" (via French "quatre," four, the four-spot on dice); "catty-" is a folk reshaping.
Frequently asked questions
What does catty-corner mean?
Catty-corner means diagonally across from something, especially across an intersection, the same idea as kitty-corner.
Is it catty-corner or kitty-corner?
Both are used. 'Catty-corner' is more Southern-flavored, 'kitty-corner' is common elsewhere, and both come from older 'cater-corner.'
Where does catty-corner come from?
From 'cater-corner,' where 'cater' meant diagonal (via French 'quatre,' four, the four-spot on dice); 'catty-' is a folk reshaping.
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