wampus
n.— «Wampus or cat-a-wampus. Also: Whampus—the panther. A mythical animal used as a bogie to frighten children. Ala.» —by Harry Harrison Kroll in George Peabody College for Teachers A Comparative Study of Upper and Lower Southern Folk Speech (Martin, Tennesee) Aug., 1925. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
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