Catawampus(kat-uh-wom-puhs) Adjective
askew; awry
More about Catawampus
First recorded in 1830–40 for an earlier sense of “utterly,” (apparently the adverb catawampusly was used before the adjective).
Thought to be formed from cata-, “diagonally,” (see cater-cornered) + wampus, perhaps akin to wampish.
Examples of Catawampus
The construction workers left the beam in a catawampus position, causing concern about the building’s stability.
The painting hung in a catawampus way, making it look out of place on the otherwise neat wall.
Tweak
(tweak) Verb
to make a minor adjustment to
More about Tweak
First recorded in 1595–1605; akin to twitch.
Examples of Tweak
After reviewing the report, I decided to tweak the conclusion to make it clearer.
The software engineer tweaked the program’s code to improve its speed.
Mendacious
(men-dey-shuhs) Adjective
telling lies, especially habitually; dishonest; lying; untruthful
More about Mendacious
First used between 1610–20;
From Latin mendāci-, (see mendacity + ous)
Examples of Mendacious
The tabloids published a mendacious story about the celebrity’s personal life.
My mendacious behaviour made it difficult for anyone to trust me.
Inputs Courtesy: Dictionary.com
Comments
Post a Comment