Martha and Grant discuss squeejawed and other strange terms that mean “crooked,” or “askew,” including slanchwise, whompy-jawed, whopper-jawed, antigogglin’, sigogglin, and catawampus. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Squeejawed”
Hello, you have A Way with Words.
Hi, this is Craig calling from Superior, Wisconsin.
craig Hi, Craig. How you doing?
Good. How are you guys?
All right. What’s on your mind today?
I was hoping you guys could give me some information on the word squeegeod.
What? What is it? Squeegeod?
Yeah, squeegeod.
How do you spell that and what does it mean?
I’m not sure how to spell it, but I would spell it S-Q-U-E-E-J-A-W-E-D.
Now, Craig, where did you hear this word?
The only person I’ve ever heard use it is my mother, and she uses it to mean crooked or not square, out of whack, not level.
And you’ve not heard anybody else use it but your mom?
I haven’t, so I was kind of wondering if it was a regional word and I’m in the wrong region, or if it’s something she just made up, or what’s going on?
No, I don’t think you’re in the wrong region, Craig.
But I’m so glad you brought this word to our attention because I’ve seen it only in print and very rarely.
But it’s one of many, you know, it’s so funny about English.
What does it say about us that we have so many words in the English language for something that’s askew like that?
You know, like you’re hanging a picture and somebody’s helping you and they’re saying, no, no, no, it’s still a little bit squeegee-jawed.
Right?
I guess that means we’re less than perfect.
Yeah.
Anti-goggling, slouchwise, cattywampus, catawampus.
And there are a few that end in jawed as well, like whompy jawed and whopper jawed and whamper jawed.
Not just jawed, but gee, jaw, gaw, and haw are common endings.
And the beginning can sometimes skew or ski.
So you can mix any one of those beginnings with any one of those ends, and somebody’s used it.
Interesting.
So have you adopted it into your own vocabulary, Craig?
Absolutely. I use it whenever I can.
Right. And people look at you and think, what?
Actually, it seems like they understand it, so I don’t know if they’ve heard it or the context makes it obvious or what.
I think it probably does.
Well, Craig, thanks for reminding us about that word.
Sure, absolutely.
All right.
Take care.
Take care of yourself, Craig.
Bye-bye.
You bet.
Bye.
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