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ass-backwards

adj, adv — 4 senses

ass-backwards

adj

Etymology Recorded in the US in the 1930s. From ass + backwards

1

Colloquial Oriented backwards, particularly after a mishap.

  • The car spun out of control and I ended up ass-backwards in a ditch.
2

Colloquial, Idiomatic Hopelessly misguided; contrary to what is normal, expected, or logical; having taken the utterly wrong choice.

  • No wonder it doesn't work. The whole design is ass-backwards.

ass-backwards

adv

Etymology Recorded in the US in the 1930s. From ass + backwards

1

Colloquial Moving backwards, that is, rear end first.

2

Colloquial, Idiomatic In a hopelessly misguided manner; in a manner contrary to what is normal, expected, or logical.

  • They did the whole design ass-backwards. No wonder it doesn't work.
Related terms
put the cart before the horse, preposterous

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.