Kitty-corner and Copycat

If you didn’t know these two words–kitty-corner and copycat–you may think they have something to do with cats, but they don’t.

A kitty is what we call a small or baby cat. However, kitty-corner means that something is located diagonally across from something else, usually across an intersection where two streets meet.

In this picture, the chicken is kitty-corner from the restaurant. The bench (long seat) is kitty-corner from the two trees. There are no cats–or kitties–anywhere.

Copycat (or copy cater) is a word used by children to refer to someone who copies someone else’s ideas or behavior, such as the way they dress or the way they speak. Adults sometimes use it jokingly to mean the same thing.

For example, if I cut my hair short and bleached it (made it a lighter color), and the following week, Jeff cut his hair and bleached it, I may say, “Jeff, you are a copycat.” Of course, those of you who have been listening to the podcast for a long time know that that would be impossible!

~ Lucy