crabwise

<font size="-1" face="arial, helvetica"> <p> <strong> <font color="#000066">Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 23, 2020 is:</font> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>crabwise</strong> &#149; \KRAB-wyze\&nbsp; &#149; <em>adverb</em><br /> <p><strong>1 :</strong> <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sideways">sideways</a></p> <p><strong>2 :</strong> in a <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sidling">sidling</a> or cautiously indirect manner</p> </p> <p> <strong>Examples:</strong><br /> <p>"Covered in river scum, hair hanging down his forehead like oily kelp, he found his way to the hold, clambering on hands and knees, inching <em>crabwise</em> over rough-hewn wooden boards, and picking his way past intriguing crates of explorer supplies to find the out-of-view spot he'd settled on during his reconnaissance mission nine days before." — <a href="https://www.outsideonline.com/2275906/when-teens-just-snuck-arctic-expeditions">Laurie Gwen Shapiro, <em>Outside</em>, 24 Jan. 2018</a></p> <p>"It's true that Tito's actions aren't really interrogated, and neither are the consequences of raising boys the way Lydia did—and does, with her grandson Alex. That's a conflict the show is sidling up to <em>crabwise</em>, and I really do wonder what will happen if and when it finally confronts machismo head-on." — <a href="https://slate.com/culture/2019/02/one-day-at-a-time-netflix-season-3-review.html">Lili Loofbourow, <em>Slate</em>, 14 Feb. 2019</a></p> </p> <p> <strong>Did you know?</strong><br /> <p>There's no reason to be indirect when explaining the etymology of <em>crabwise</em>—we'll get right to the point. As you might guess, the meaning of the word is directly related to that sidling sea creature, the crab. If you have visited a beach near the sea, you have probably seen crabs scuttling along, often moving sideways. Though the behavior is surely above reproach to the crabs themselves, English speakers tend to be suspicious of w