Barking Up The Wrong Tree
You must have heard this phrase from either your parents or teachers growing up. While most English speakers will be familiar with the phrase “barking up the wrong tree”, did you know that Southerners invented it? Certainly, Southerners love keeping dogs as pets, and maybe one owner saw their naughty pooch barking up their delicate fig tree. They could have then decided to turn this irritation into a highly popular phrase meaning someone that is pursuing a disagreeable line of conversation or inquest.
Barking Up The Wrong Tree
Cattywampus
This is quite a strange word that we wouldn’t blame you for being unfamiliar with if you do not hail from the South. Certainly, the term is quite popular in places like Mississippi or Arkansas. So, what could it possibly mean? While it might sound like nonsense, if something had to be described as “cattywampus”, then it is probably in pretty bad shape. For example, if you and your friend had to build a bookshelf, and the books slid off when you put them on, then it, “turned out cattywampus”.
Cattywampus
