I went to a couple meetings at the Austin board today, one this morning and one this evening. The evening gig included a 70s theme, and this was the best I could do. At least I didn't have to go and buy the shoes, they were in the office from past fundraising efforts. Never throw away a good pair of shoes, you never know when you will need them again!Crabwise -- Adverb. 1. sideways. 2. in a sidling or cautiously indirect manner. "Buffeted by swirling winds, the helicopter slid crabwise as the pilot struggled to land on a tine sloping field." John Lancaster, The Washington Post, October 18, 2005
Did You Know? The meaning of crabwise is directly related to that sidling creature, the crab. If you live near the shore or have visited a beach near the sea, you have probably seen crabs scuttling along, often moving sideways and not taking what humans would consider the most direct route. The modern meanings of crabwise were definitely inspired by the crab's lateral or oblique approach to getting from one place to another. The word crept into English in the mid-19th century and has been sidling into our sentences ever since. Not my sentences. The musical term cancrizans, related to the Latin cancer ("crab"), describes a musical sequence repeated backward note for note.
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