So Katish, So kuh-TISH

On the Away With Words Facebook group, Confident Stimpson posed a really interesting question.

She wrote, my mother used the word katish, meaning to describe a woman who was of the privileged class and expensively dressed. Now this was spelled K-A-T-I-S-H, katish. She used it in a derogatory sense as in, oh, she thinks she’s so katish. Is it a real word? Has anybody else ever heard it or did my mother just make it up?

And Grant, I had no idea, but as somebody pointed out, on the group, it’s in the Dictionary of American Regional English. And it’s spelled different ways, C-A-T-I-S-H and K-I-T-A-S-H, in the same way that Confidence spelled it. And it means fine, elegant, or stylish. And it’s pronounced a couple of different ways, katish or katosh. And apparently since the 1890s, at least, it’s been used in the north central part of the United States. Any idea on its origin, maybe from katillion or something like that? I was wondering about that.

And there’s been some speculation, but nothing really clear. I had no idea that this word existed and that people use it. You know, Martha, we could do this for another 50 years, and you and I will be surprised by language every week. Surprise and delight.

We’d love for you to surprise and delight us. You know that electronic block that you have, the shiny front that you’re always looking at? That’s actually a telephone. You can punch in this number, 877-929-9673, and you’ll go straight to us 24 hours a day.