skew-whiff
/ˈskjuː.(w)ɪf/ adjective
Forms skew-wift skew wift skew wiff skew-wiff scew-whiff skew whift skew-whift skew whiff skewiff ski whiff squewiff skewquieff
- adjective (UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, colloquial) Askew; lopsided, not straight. “I hung up that picture, but it looks skew-whiff to me.”
Synonyms
Etymology
The expression 'skew weft' dates at least from the 18th century as a term used by handloom weavers, typically in northern England. It was used originally to describe fabric which was out of alignment, and the term survives today in the manufacture of glass fiber cloth.
The word weft does not derive from 'whiff' as in a puff of air (as suggested elsewhere). The modern spelling comes from a corruption of 'skew-wift' whose sound developed colloquially in spoken English from the original. Bow weft also exists.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “skew-whiff”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details