Dictionary

a whole nother en · DET

Pronunciation

• /ə ˈhəʊl ˌnʌðə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ə ˈhoʊl ˌnʌðəɹ/ (General-American)

Etymology

Either from a + whole + nother (“different, other”), where nother is a variant of other, rebracketed from an other, or from whole + another, with whole having been inserted by tmesis. Compare also dialectal tother from Middle English þe toþer (“the other”).

Meanings

1. (US, informal, proscribed, usually) An intensified form of another: an entirely different; a whole other.
   • Executing it all well, with the feel, look and operation of a real luxury car, is a whole nother ball of wax. 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, New York, N.Y.: The Hearst Corporation, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 01 Oct 2013:
   • 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. 1998, Gayl Jones, chapter 1, in The Healing, Boston, Mass.: Beacon Press, →ISBN, page 18:
   • It's a whole nother bunch of folks over beyond the trees 'cross the tracks. 1992, Thulani Davis, chapter 6, in 1959 […], New York, N.Y.: Grove Weidenfeld, Grove Press, →ISBN, page 282:
   • "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." 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:
   • 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, Michael W. Dean, quoting Henry Rollins, “Interviews”, in $30 Music School, Boston, Mass.: Muska & Lipman, Course Technology, →ISBN, page 457:
   • The breeze taps my face with a robe-corner. A lazy blueness, from a whole nother age, is spread all above me. 2004, Margo Lanagan, “Rite of Spring”, in Black Juice, London: Gollancz, published 2007, →ISBN, page 195:

Forms