Where does the word "catawampus" come from and What does catawampus mean?

No one now knows the source of the word “catawampus”.

It showed up in print shortly after 1840 and, most likely, had already been American slang for ten or fifteen years before that.

With humorous reference to General Zachary Taylor at the Battle of Buena Vista in the Mexican War, the New York Herald carried the squib (June 17, 1846):

where does the word catawampus come from and what does catawampus mean

On Taylor came and met the foe
All marshall’d forth so pompously,
And there he’s slain two thousand men,
All chaw’d up catawampously.

That is, to translate the meaning, as if they had been met by a fierce or savage bogy.

What does the word “gauntlet” mean and Where does the word gauntlet come from? During the Thirty Years' War, which lasted from 1618 to 1648, the English forces observed a form of disciplinary punishment used among their German allies. It looked highly effective, so it was not…
What does the word incubus (succubus) mean and Where does the word “incubus” come from? In the Middle Ages any woman who gave birth to a witch or sorceress was supposed to have been visited, in her sleep, by a male demon or evil spirit. The name given…
Where does the word “Toilet” come from and What does the word Toilet mean in French? The word "toilet" has had a rather curious development in the little more than four hundred years it has been in the language. Its origin was the French toilette, the diminutive of wile,…
What Does the Word Scapegoat Mean and Where Did the Word Scapegoat Come From? A Scapegoat is a member of a group singled out for undeserved blame or negative treatment. The word "scapegoat" is a mistranslation of the word Azazel. An early Greek translation of the Old…
What Does the Word “Clock” Mean in French and Where Did the Word For a Large Timepiece Come From? Like cloche in French, the word clock literally means bell. When the large mechanical clock was invented in the fourteenth century it didn't tell time with a face and hands, but rather by…
What Does the Word “Gimmick” Mean and Where Did the Word Gimmick Come From? Gimmick or gimac, either way it's spelled, a gimmick is a gadget or idea that gives you an advantage. The second spelling is an anagram of magic. The word comes from the language…

Where does the word “catawampus” come from and What does catawampus mean?

Related Posts

About Karen Hill