skew-whiff
Definition
Adjective:
- Not straight or level; crooked, tilted, or askew: Describes something that is not aligned correctly, is off-center, or is twisted to one side.
- Out of order; amiss: Can describe a situation or thing that is not as it should be.
Adverb:
- In a crooked, tilted, or askew manner: Describes the action of being or becoming not straight or level.
Usage Examples
Adjective: After the bump, the picture on the wall was completely skew-whiff. He tried to fix the shelf, but it remained stubbornly skew-whiff.
Adverb: The sign hung skew-whiff after the storm. She placed her hat skew-whiff on her head for a playful look.
Advanced Usage
- Often used in informal, particularly British, contexts to describe physical objects that are not straight.
- Can be used figuratively to suggest that plans or situations have gone wrong or are not proceeding correctly. Example:
Variants and Related Words
- Askew (adj/adv): The most direct synonym, meaning not in a straight or level position.
- Awry (adj/adv): Crooked, askew, or away from the correct course. Often used for both physical misalignment and metaphorical deviation (e.g., plans going awry).
- Crooked (adj): Not straight; bent or twisted.
- Lopsided (adj): With one side lower or smaller than the other; not symmetrical.
Synonyms
- Adjective: Askew, awry, crooked, lopsided, tilted, off-center, cockeyed.
- Adverb: Askew, awry, crookedly, lopsidedly.
Related Phrases and Idioms
- To be/go skew-whiff: To be or become crooked or to go wrong.
- All skew-whiff: An emphatic phrase meaning completely crooked or utterly wrong.
Adjective
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turned or twisted toward one side
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a...youth with a gorgeous red necktie all awry- G.K.Chesterton
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his wig was, as the British say, skew-whiff
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Adverb
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turned or twisted to one side
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rugs lying askew
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with his necktie twisted awry
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