howcatchem · noun — A mystery novel or drama which begins by showing or describing the commission of the crime, generally revealing the perpetrator's identity to the audience, then shows or describes how the detective proves the perpetrator's guilt.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, howcatchem ranks #7,724 of 42,886 for Qualifying.
Etymology
From how + catch + 'em, modelled on whodunit.
noun
- A mystery novel or drama which begins by showing or describing the commission of the crime, generally revealing the perpetrator's identity to the audience, then shows or describes how the detective proves the perpetrator's guilt.e.g.“Columbo was not so much a whodunit as it was a "howcatchem" — the fun was in watching Columbo corner the murderer, and we never tired of the game.” — 2002, Marc Robinson, Brought to You in Living Color: 75 Years of Great Moments in Television & Radio from NBC, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN:
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- whodunit 65% match — A novel or drama concerning a crime (usually a murder) in which a detective follows clues to determine the perpetrator. vs howcatchem →
- howdunit 61% match — A type of detective story in which the focus is not on the person who committed the crime, but on the manner in which it was committed. vs howcatchem →
- dramystery 57% match — A mystery-drama. vs howcatchem →
- casefic 53% match — A fanfic, typically based on a mystery or procedural franchise, which focuses on the solving of a case. vs howcatchem →
- wheredunit 53% match — A type of detective story in which significant focus is placed on the location in which the crime was committed. vs howcatchem →
- whydunit 52% match — A type of detective story in which the focus is not on the person who committed the crime, but on the motives for committing it. vs howcatchem →
- crimance 50% match — crime-romance vs howcatchem →
- antidetective 50% match — Of or relating to a genre of detective fiction characterised by postmodernism and ambiguity. vs howcatchem →