Monday, March 13, 2017

Bates Southern Speak: Cattywompus


Have you ever heard the term "cattywompus"? If so, what does it mean to you? In the video below, the Bates discuss the word and how they have heard it used.


Photo/video courtesy of UP

16 comments:

  1. I have never heard that until now. Interesting word ;)

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  2. I really enjoy this family. They are fun, funny, and balanced. I know they are very good friends with the Duggar family, but it is so evident there is so much more freedom within their ideology. Lawson is with Erin a lot. He is not excluded because he is not part of the "married" group. Gil and Kelly Jo spend a lot of time with their children. The siblings poke fun at each other just like all normal siblings, while being each other's greatest support. They are inclusive of each other versus exclusive. Their is nothing "cattywompus" about the Bates Clan!

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  3. It means cockeyed. Crooked/ messed up.

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  4. I've heard the word used as Gil describes, but people don't use it much anymore.

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  5. I have never heard the word cattywompus before. But my parents being from the South might have heard it before. I'm enjoying these Southern Speak posts because I learn so much, especially from your southern readers.

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  6. Weirdest word I've heard of yet. Not familiar with it at all being from the North right below Canada.

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  7. Yep! It's an old word that means that things are out of order, or discombobulated, if you will. :)

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  8. I've heard it used all the time! It just means crooked, off-center, messed up, not in place, etc. A picture that's hanging crooked on the wall might be "all cattywompus," if you just got out of bed, your hair might be cattywompus, etc. Actually, I didn't know that was just a Southern word!

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  9. Of course. It means everything is off kilter, discombobulated ...

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  10. I am from TN, too, and I was going to describe it just as Gil did, "All out of wack." :)

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  11. I never heard of it. I thought it was slang for some type of animal! I'm from NJ, so I'm not familiar with these southern expressions.

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  12. From SC and NEVER heard it before now.

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  13. Never heard of cattywompus and i'm from Illimois

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  14. My father was a biologist and he always mentioned 3 words...cattywompus, proceoner loaderloader, and clickman toad. He said these were scientific names for simple animals I believe. Now mind you, this was way back in the 60's but all my brothers and sister and I know what these are. LOL strange as it sounds. Oh and I love your show!!

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  15. My son owns a large custom cabinet shop - all of our workers used that word when measuring rooms where the cabinets would be installed.

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  16. my dad is from Oklahoma and he uses it to mean things are crazy. Now we use it to, but more in a funny way then in serious terms.

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