catty-corner
Positioned diagonally from someone or something. This phrase can be used as an adverb and an adjective. Primarily heard in US. No, you know Mr. Lewis—his house is catty-corner to ours. No, you only win the game if all of your pieces line up catty-corner! Thankfully the daycare is catty-corner to my office, so dropping the kids off in the morning is really easy.
cattywampus
1. Crooked or out of alignment; askew. Your tie is all cattywampus. Here, let me fix it for you. No matter how many times I adjust it, that picture just wants to hang cattywampus. The wreath wasn't cattywampus when I left this morning. I guess the high winds got to it.
2. Situated diagonally from someone or something else. No, you know Mr. Jones—his house is cattywampus to ours. What fool parked his truck all cattywampus like this? The lines between parking spaces are there for a reason! Thankfully the daycare is cattywampus to my office, so dropping the kids off in the morning is really easy.
dead cat bounce
A sign that something is healthy or recovering, when in fact the thing is already on its way to ruin, collapse, or stagnation. Used particularly in reference to financial issues. (Based on the figurative notion that a dead cat will still bounce after a large fall.) Analysts are warning investors that the sudden spike in the currency's value is a dead-cat bounce, a natural and predictable rally after a heavy sell-off. I hope the company is truly rebounding and these positive sales numbers aren't just a dead-cat bounce. Be mindful of the dead-cat bounce—you don't want to get your hopes up over something that's actually already dying out.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.