howcatchem

H4O1W4C3A1T1C3H4E1M3

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.

Scrabble 25
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Meanings

nounhowcatchem (plural howcatchems)

plural howcatchems

  1. 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.

    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

Origin

From how + catch + 'em, modelled on whodunit.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

howcatchem. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/howcatchem

MLA

“howcatchem.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/howcatchem. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “howcatchem,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/howcatchem.

Source: howcatchem on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.