crabwise (KRAB-wyz) adjective

   1. Sideways.

   2. In a cautious or roundabout manner.

[From the sideways movement of crabs.]

   "John Smith is still moving crabwise towards modernity."
   John Major's Last Year?, The Economist (London), May 15, 1993.

It's a blessing to have a child at home. As parent of a four-year old,
I strive to answer my daughter Ananya's incessant questions about moon
and earthworms and clouds and trees and bears as truthfully as I can. Our
investigations into these seemingly mundane matters often reveal insights
that are learning experiences for both of us. But there are times when
my thoughts are elsewhere and I simply answer the question "Why?" with
"Because that's how God made 'em." I didn't know the joke was on me until
the evening I found the corner of our living room wall scribbled with
bright shades of crayons. When questioned why we had that mural on the
wall, she simply replied, "Because that's how God made it."

Well, if we were to ask why a crab moves crabwise or sideways, that'd be
a pretty good answer: because that's how God (or nature, depending on how
your beliefs run) made it. Because that's how their legs bend. That's how
their muscles flex. That's how they've adapted. That's how they survive
as a species. And that's how we got a synonym for the word `sideways' in
our dictionary. If we were to look up the term `humanwise' in a crab's
dictionary, chances are it would mean `sideways'.

This week's AWAD features more words derived from animals (the only
animal-based products we use around here).                     -Anu

............................................................................
If mankind minus one were of one opinion, then mankind is no more justified
in silencing the one than the one - if he had the power - would be
justified in silencing mankind. -John Stuart Mill, philosopher and
economist (1806-1873)

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Pronunciation:
http://wordsmith.org/words/crabwise.wav
http://wordsmith.org/words/crabwise.ram