a whole nother

See also: a whole 'nother

English

WOTD – 24 September 2024

Etymology

From a + whole + nother (“different, other”). Whole has been inserted by tmesis, while nother is a variant of other, rebracketed from an other. Compare also dialectal tother from Middle English þe toþer (“the other”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ə ˈhəʊl ˌnʌðə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ə ˈhoʊl ˌnʌðəɹ/

Determiner

a whole nother

1. (US, informal) An intensified form of another: an entirely different; a whole other.
   • 1887 October 29, [Mary Louisa] Molesworth, “The Mysterious Guide: A Story of a London Fog”, in [Charles Peters], editor, The Girl’s Own Paper, volume IX, number 409, London: “The Leisure Hour” Office, →OCLC, page 67, column 3:

     "Will the fog be gone by to-morrow morning?" said Patty, disconsolately. "I don't know what we shall do if we have to be a whole 'nother day in the house and in the dark."

   • 1992, Thulani Davis, chapter 6, in 1959 […], New York, N.Y.: Grove Weidenfeld, Grove Press, →ISBN, page 282:

     It's a whole nother bunch of folks over beyond the trees 'cross the tracks.

   • 1998, Gayl Jones, chapter 1, in The Healing, Boston, Mass.: Beacon Press, →ISBN, page 18:

     They say she look like she have a turtle shell on her back and the healing woman healed that. But that's a whole nother story.

   • 2004, Michael W. Dean, quoting Henry Rollins, “Interviews”, in $30 Music School, Boston, Mass.: Muska & Lipman, Course Technology, →ISBN, page 457:

     The problem is when you physically try to impede my progress—then it moves up to a whole 'nother level that you probably can't handle me on. If it's just words, mean little things, I'm not [Joseph] Stalin, say what you want. Get in my way, it's a whole 'nother thing.

   • 2004, Margo Lanagan, “Rite of Spring”, in Black Juice, London: Gollancz, published 2007, →ISBN, page 195:

     The breeze taps my face with a robe-corner. A lazy blueness, from a whole nother age, is spread all above me.

   • 2009 October 1, Don Chaikin, “Long-Term Test Cars: Azera, Sedon M35, Highlander Hybrid, Liberty Sport CRD, Cobalt SS”, in Jim Meigs, editor, Popular Mechanics‎^[1], New York, N.Y.: The Hearst Corporation, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2013-10-01:

     Executing it all well, with the feel, look and operation of a real luxury car, is a whole nother ball of wax.

Alternative forms

• a whole 'nother

Translations

intensified form of another — see another

Further reading

• “a whole nother”, in Collins English Dictionary.
• “whole nother, idiom”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.