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I think of catawampus as being all messed up, while kittycorner and the like refer to a location. Not next door or directly in front or behind, but offset so
just the corner of one lot touches the other, or is the closest point across the street.
I always thought of cattycorner as being the corner diagonally across from the reference point, and particularly at an intersection. I think the particular word, be it cattycorner, kittycorner, or catacorner is a regional thing.
And like you, catawampus (also pronounced cattywompus) as just being in a random mess.
I think of catawampus as being all messed up, while kittycorner and the like refer to a location. Not next door or directly in front or behind, but offset so
just the corner of one lot touches the other, or is the closest point across the street.
Around here 'catawumpus' defines a particular kind of messed up.
A crane that tipped over lifting a load is a good example of something that has gone catawumpus. Locals would say the crane went catawumpus.
Or a tailgate that slipped open and allowed a truckload of chickens to get loose and go free. In this instance, the chickens are the catawumpus, not the truck.
Both are a mess of course, but they're also a catastrophe, but a bit more minor than a regular catastrophe.
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