Andrea here again. Also referred to as Ann/Andi, Nina’s real-life bff, don’t worry Nina will be back soon. So I’ve been dating my boyfriend Ian for about 8 months. Ian is originally from Louisville KY, went to college in Nashville TN, and law school in California. I have been a Chicago area resident my whole life. One thing we notice is a lot of different words we use. For example I call an athletic shoe a “gym shoe” and he calls it a “tennis shoe”. The other day Ian was telling a story and said “caddy corner” of course I laughed in his face and said, “Do you mean kitty corner”. For some reason I like to prove him wrong. Maybe it’s because he is a little smarty pants with his cum laude Vanderbilt degree and finished 3rd in his class from Chapman Law School. And if I’m not trying to prove him wrong, I am at least trying to prove him country!
When we looked on the internet we discovered we were both right:
kitty-corner (not comparable)
(US, Canada) (with to:) located diagonally across from something, especially across an intersection
The library is kitty-corner to the supermarket.
Caddy corner – 1 definition – diagonally opposite from the point where you are now, as if standing on one corner in a square.
I still think kitty corner is the correct term. The kitty definition is from the wiktionary online. The caddy definition came from the urban dictionary, which is not as professional of a site. In fact that site is blocked by my place of work. This may be a Southern vs. Northern thing, but I think The Nina Knows Best readers can help us settle this once and for all. Please comment kitty or caddy and where you live. Thank you!!
{ 29 comments… read them below or add one }
SOOO funny! when I send text messages to people out here in NYC, I can never quite tell whether caddy or kitty is the correct way to go (in the west we say caddy)… Glad to know both are correct! But seriously, caddy corner all the way
xoxo,
Lulu
I say caddy corner here in Texas. i went to Chicago last year and everyone kept asking me if I was from Texas!
kitty-corner here in the midwest, michigan and illinois that is!
CADDY!
LOL! How funny! I have never heard of Kitty corner, except when i’m yelling at my cat for peeing in the corner. LOL! I have only heard of caddy-corner.
(Oh, and I grew up all over the place…i’m a military brat…but I currently reside in the South)
I say Caddy Corner. I am originally from Mississippi/Tennessee.
Ha this is hilarious!! I love that you guys are going back and forth about this. How cute!
I have always said “caddy corner.” Sorry to not side with you, ha!
Oh and I live in Texas….
i say kitty and i think someone wants to start their own blog
just do it u know u want to!
I’m from the south and I say caddy corner–sorry andi!
xoxo,
MM
I say caddy corner. I’m from Texas. I’ve actually never heard it called kitty corner! Haha sorry…
I am from NC and say caddy! Ha!
My family is from the south, I live on the west side of the state of Missouri. We all (my family) say “caddy” corner. But some people in this area say “kitty”. Here it depends on which side of the state you are from. I think this may be a North vs. South issue! Ha!!
I say caddy and I’m from Texas. All of my family in New Jersey and New York say caddy as well.
Sorry Ann, I say caddy! And I only grew up 2 1/2 hours south of chicago…maybe living west of the mississippi in st. louis for 5 years has something to do with it
Great posts by the way! When are you and Ian going to start your own blog?!?
South (Tennessee to be exact) He learned that at Vandy
Caddy all the way!!
caddy…i’m from SC. i love finding cultural differences like these!! call me a dork, but i used to have “culture nights” w/ a couple of guys @ church who moved here from IN. nothing formal…just random days/nights when i got in the mood to ask them about such important things as whether they had seen grits before they moved here (maybe), if they knew what fatback was (no!), etc. haha!
I say caddy corner, and I’m from the south-MS.
CADDY!
I am originally from Western Pennsylvania and my vote goes to the kitty.
I am with Ian – it’s caddy corner! I live in Charlotte, NC.
I say Caddy Corner, from Connecticut!
Will you let us know the results of the great Caddy v Kitty debate?
Thank you all for voting! Caddy is winning 19 to 3 (which includes my vote). It seems Nina has a lot of southern belle followers!
Gonna have to side with Ian on this one…caddy corner it is! I have actually never heard someone use “kitty corner”…and I’m a midwest girl? Love the guest posting! Great job!
I’m from Kansas and live in Texas and have never heard kitty-corner only caddy-corner. Have you ever heard of caddywampus?
caddy-corner!
Mid-west (Cincinnati) here and we say “caddy”.
“Kitty Corner” is absolutely the correct phrase. I am from Lake Forest, Illinois and the Midwest says Kitty Corner. It is the only way to say it. The North Shore of Chicago is the greatest example of what this country should be, so all others take a lesson. Please.
In Canada we say “Kitty Corner”