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ESL forum >
Games, activities and teaching ideas > word of the day
word of the day
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MarionG
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word of the day
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A little more time to post your alternative meanings for this cute word:
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Let your associative thinking loose on this word:
cattywampus
all silly, funny, serious, convincing, deep, learned or absurd ALTERNATIVE meanings are welcome !
For those new to the game...
The word of the day competition is a fun way to expand your vocabulary, show off your creativity and liven up the forum.
Everyone is invited to make up an alternative defintition for the word provided. Everything goes, free association rules! Borrowing from other languages allowed and so are nonsensical musings. The only thing not allowed it to give the real meaning of the word...
The funniest, silliest, wisest or best alternative meaning will be declared the winner and s/he has to post a new word to keep the game going...
Join and have fun. |
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9 Dec 2012
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cunliffe
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I often like to teach new vocab to my students by highlighting the opposite, so I �m going to do that here.
Cattywampus, n, is the opposite of dogmatist. A dogmatist, or a dogmatic person, will state a narrow truth in authoritarian tones and will brook no dissent. They are often loud, narrow minded and objectionable people. A cattywampic person will believe absolutely anything they are told. They are dreamy folks, with their heads in the air. They are sweet-natured, but should not be entrusted with anything of the slightest importance. Please be warned: you cannot trust a cattywampus.
Edit: N.B. This word has absolutely nothing to do with cats. But here�s an observation. Women and cats do what they damn well want. Men and dogs need to relax and get used to it.
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9 Dec 2012
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cindyfreksen
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Well if you ask me Cattywampus is a very serious illness. I have to break it down to make its meaning clear.
Catty = to be sarcastic or bitchey
Wam = short form of Wham a pop group from the 80 �s
Pus = nasty yellow stuff that comes out of an infected wound.
So if are suffering from cattywampus then listening 80 �s music makes you breakout in pussy boils and be very sarcastic.
The cure is to be forced to listen to Last Christmas by George Michael until the sarcasm has passed then rub the afflicted boils with any record. It has to be a real record, altho some research has shown improvement when using cassette tapes.
To help sufferers of this dire sickness please limit your listening to 80 �s music
Cindy
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9 Dec 2012
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Squanto
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Cattywampus come from the Old Native American words Scatty Wumpum meaning SH**Y money. It was used When the Native Americans expessed their dipleasure over quality or quantity of the beads that were used by the white man in trading situations. Hence anything crooked or cockeyed is considered to be cattywampus. |
9 Dec 2012
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ascincoquinas
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Hello Mariong!
I �m afraid you have spelled the word backwards:
It �s wampus cat meaning:
A six legged creature. Four legs to run at the speed of light, two to fight with all its might
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10 Dec 2012
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Zora
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When I was a girl, we had something called a rumpus room in our house. It was basically the TV room... Nowadays, my mom who is a HUGE cat lover, has decided to turn the room into the cats � room with a fancy litter box, scratching posts, comfy cat beds... you know all that crazy lady kitty stuff.
My dad, not too pleased with her current hobby, has nicknamed the room the cattywumpus room or � �the cattywumpus � for short. 
So cattywumpus must be a rumpus room for cats!
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10 Dec 2012
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Cindy