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Every language and/or dialect has to have a word for something physically located diagonally away from another thing. In the dialect of my language that I speak, such a thing is called "catty corner". It's an adjective. As in, "The house on the street was catty corner to the stop sign." I'd only use this phrase for physical objects out in the world. What's your phrase for that? I'd love to hear foreign words and weird words from foreign places.
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Sep 3, 2023 02:38
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| # ? May 3, 2024 17:13 |
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kitty corner
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Sep 3, 2023 02:44
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Chrissy Dorner
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Sep 3, 2023 02:44
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I always thought it was caddy corner but that's probably just because I only ever heard my dad say it out loud, never written down.
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Sep 3, 2023 02:48
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I'm pretty sure that every time I've had to describe something as diagonally across from something, I've just said "[thing A] is diagonally across from [thing B]" I've heard of "kitty corner" and "catty corner", but I don't think I've never heard anyone use either of them edit: fwiw "my culture" is Queens, New York, for context's sake
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Sep 3, 2023 02:48
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I live in the United States in a major city and do not have a word for this. Across the street on the other side?
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Sep 3, 2023 02:49
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Pet Cemetery
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Sep 3, 2023 02:50
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i usually just say "diagonal from"
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Sep 3, 2023 02:52
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diagonally across from
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Sep 3, 2023 02:53
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"diagonal from" or possibly even "across, but like, diagonally across"
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Sep 3, 2023 02:59
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No one ever uses this anymore, which is why I've never seen it written down. Diagonal from or diagonal across the intersection is good enough the 2 times I've needed to use it ever.
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Sep 3, 2023 03:01
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cattywampus I live in massachusetts, as far as I know it’s an Irish expression https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQ1TNIYAds0
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Sep 3, 2023 03:08
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pencilhands posted:cattywampus I realize who I'm replying to but that words means something different Possibly  or 
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Sep 3, 2023 03:11
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Lol yes also that... Someone told me cattywumpus growing up and I was like wtf is that and they said catty corner and said what the gently caress is that and they said eventually, diagonal across an intersection... And I was like why didn't you just say so Edit:bumfuck middle America
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Sep 3, 2023 03:13
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maybealabia posted:I realize who I'm replying to but that words means something different I thought they meant the same thing
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Sep 3, 2023 03:14
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pencilhands posted:I thought they meant the same thing It does where I'm from no idea what that guy is getting at.
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Sep 3, 2023 03:16
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Teriyaki Hairpiece posted:Every language and/or dialect has to have a word for something physically located diagonally away Diagonally away
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Sep 3, 2023 03:16
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Kitty corner for real.
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Sep 3, 2023 03:17
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Contraesquina
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Sep 3, 2023 03:21
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My hometown has some kinda strange/particular colloquialisms including for this situation, but it not allowed to post the word we call it here 
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Sep 3, 2023 03:24
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people say kitty corner around here (southern ontario) but i hate it so i say diagonally across. btw if anyone is wondering kitty/catty/caddy is from french, quatre
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Sep 3, 2023 03:25
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Wendigee posted:It does where I'm from no idea what that guy is getting at. Well I'm no prescriptivist I did look it up now and I do see that definition. I've only seen that word mean screwed up, like the way someone might say things went haywire or pear shaped But I can see "slanted" as a reason for that For the record I heard "kittycorner" growing up but I would probably say "diagonally across from"
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Sep 3, 2023 03:26
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Earwicker posted:i usually just say "diagonal from" Yeah. But my city is gridded out in the cardinal directions pointing north, so I tend to say “on the southwest corner of” or “on the northeastern corner” more than “diagonally from.” If you’re from here, you would also know that most east-west streets are Streets and north-south streets are Avenues which make giving directions easy.
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Sep 3, 2023 03:26
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hot cocoa on the couch posted:btw if anyone is wondering kitty/catty/caddy is from french, quatre For real? I guess I don't live in a city block so maybe the phrase is just not used here at all. Is that the same reason they call things in Louisiana "the French quarter"? I don't really get it
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Sep 3, 2023 03:33
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hot cocoa on the couch posted:people say kitty corner around here (southern ontario) but i hate it so i say diagonally across. btw if anyone is wondering kitty/catty/caddy is from french, quatre drat Acadians!
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Sep 3, 2023 03:40
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Nooner posted:My hometown has some kinda strange/particular colloquialisms including for this situation, but it not allowed to post the word we call it here Make the post
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Sep 3, 2023 03:41
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Nooner posted:My hometown has some kinda strange/particular colloquialisms including for this situation, but it not allowed to post the word we call it here Post it you liar
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Sep 3, 2023 03:42
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Paralleln't
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Sep 3, 2023 03:43
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Nooner posted:My hometown has some kinda strange/particular colloquialisms including for this situation, but it not allowed to post the word we call it here Put it in spoiler with a legal disclaimer, waiving you of all responsibility.
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Sep 3, 2023 03:43
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I just want to hear what other languages call it, whether they have a word for physically diagonal or they use a phrase that translates to "corner of the snake"
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Sep 3, 2023 03:44
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Grey Cat posted:Paralleln't Lol
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Sep 3, 2023 03:45
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Australian from Melbourne. I use diagonally. To converse with Americans, i use kitty corner. I am in the PNW.
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Sep 3, 2023 03:48
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Wendigee posted:For real? I guess I don't live in a city block so maybe the phrase is just not used here at all. The french quarter refers to the oldest part of New Orleans that the city grew/was built around. The city was founded by a french dude, but the USA bought Lousiana and like, the entire midwest from the French* in the Lousiana purchase, that's why creole and cajun food owns *Even though it was p-much all already full of native americans and the french didn't own poo poo
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Sep 3, 2023 03:50
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I mean I'm aware it's French in origin I just don't get why they refer to a city in quarters. I assumed it just meant section. There's got to be more than 4 parts of a city that size?
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Sep 3, 2023 03:53
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over there (gestures)
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Sep 3, 2023 04:00
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oh yeah that makes more sense than just assuming the whole term comes from that, but also there's a french word that specifically means district that's 'quartier' so I think it's probably from that
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Sep 3, 2023 04:01
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"Opposite"You Are A Elf posted:Yeah. Yeah this too. It's the only real benefit of mundane american gridcities but it is really handy for directions and stuff.
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Sep 3, 2023 04:02
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Wendigee posted:I mean I'm aware it's French in origin I just don't get why they refer to a city in quarters. there are various contexts in which the term "quarter" has come to roughly mean "section" or "place" not strictly a 4th of something. like when soldiers have quarters, etc. calling parts of cities "quarters" is not just in french but italian also, im guessing it goes back to rome Earwicker fucked around with this message at 04:06 on Sep 3, 2023 |
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Sep 3, 2023 04:03
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Earwicker posted:there are various contexts in which the term "quarter" has come to roughly mean "section" or "place" not strictly a 4th of something. like when soldiers have quarters, etc. Fair enough.. I mean I'm used to hearing quarter refer to an area regardless of size or actual location because of war movies... But does courtier actually mean cattywumpus? Seems like it means the little dick that snuck around a court and made deals with the nobles
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Sep 3, 2023 04:10
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| # ? May 3, 2024 17:13 |
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If cattywumpus is real why have I never heard of it in movies, tv, music, or books??
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Sep 3, 2023 04:54
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