The amusing world of regional vernacular...

[rosebee]

We have a new person at the office who recently moved here (Oregon) from Oklahoma.

We were all talking over lunch and I was attempting to give directions to a local Farmer Market in the area. I told her it was kittycorner from the Saturday Market.

Coworker digested the directions, blinked and said (in a very surprised tone of voice) "wait a minute, you say kittycorner around here? It's cattycorner where I'm from."

Cattycorner?! I've *never* heard that term before in my life.

/silly amusing moment

Comments

[dizmo]

Oh, yes. Definitely cattycorner.

Three cheers for regional variance. ;)

[rosebee.livejournal.com]

Cattycorner? ::shakes head::

I still say that's the strangeset sounding thing I've heard in a very long time.

Until yesterday, I truly thought the rest of the country said "kittycorner".

[bartinigirl03.livejournal.com]

I say cattycorner.

[rosebee.livejournal.com]

Cattycorner? Sheesh. I'm of half a mind to set up a poll to ask if people say kittycorner or cattycorner, and then ask them where they live.

[bartinigirl03.livejournal.com]

I live in Ohio. :)

[jewelianna.livejournal.com]

I've always heard kittycorner.

[rosebee.livejournal.com]

Yay! Another normal person! ;)

[chootoy.livejournal.com]

I've always used 'kitty' too and made the 'huh?' face when I heard 'catty'. Go figger.

[rosebee.livejournal.com]

*g* These kinds of regional variances I find absolutely fascinating!
It's good to see someone else who talks normally. ;)

[rainbow.livejournal.com]

*word geekiness alert*

The earlier word was catercorner; kittycorner and cattycorner just reflect how people in different regions heard and spelt it.

/word geekiness

I grew up (in California) with kittycorner.

[rosebee.livejournal.com]

Ah, what an interesting word history and mutation over the years!

In a decidedly less intellectual note, YAY! Someone else who says it right! ;)

::giggles::

This turned into quite the interesting post.

[keenpeach.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I've actually never heard "kittycorner" before. Interesting!

[rosebee.livejournal.com]

Huh. Isn't that an interesting little quirk of language?

Where are you from?

[soulescaping.livejournal.com]

To add my regional (British Columbia, Canada) variation... I would have spelled it kittycorner, but I pronounce it kiddycorner *shrugs*

[rosebee.livejournal.com]

Huh... that's a different twist.
This turned out to be quite the interesting post.

At least you spell it right. ;)

::giggles with amusement::
{{hugs}}

::skips off to get breakfast::

[dazzlingstar.livejournal.com]

Add me to the list of freaks! ;-) I say cattycorner and I'm from PA. Ha! *g*

[rosebee.livejournal.com]

::pulls out list of LJ's who talk funny::

::scribbles down another name::

You know, I think I'm going to do a poll on this. I have a sneaking suspicion that the phrasing is a West Coast-Midwest-East Coast kind of thing.

[dazzlingstar.livejournal.com]

Aren't a lot of things? *g*