whatcha

English

Alternative forms

• watcha, wotcha, wotcher, whatchya, whutcha

Etymology

From what +‎ -cha.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈwɒtʃə/, /ˈwɒtʃjə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈwʌt͡ʃə/, /ˈwʌt͡ʃjə/
• Rhymes: (UK) -ɒtʃə, (US) -ʌtʃə
• Homophones: watcher, wotcher (UK, non-rhotic)

Contraction

whatcha

1. (colloquial) Contraction of what are you.

   Whatcha doin'?

   Whatcha talking 'bout?

   Whatcha sayin'?

   • 1986 February 1, Nicholas Deutsch, “7th Annual New York Gay Film Festival”, in Gay Community News, volume 13, number 28, page 8:

     There were plenty of ostentatiously noisy walkouts during the last half of Eric De Kuyper's Naughty Boys (Netherlands), which is understandable. On the other hand, I loved the film and found it continually fascinating, so whatcha gonna do?

2. (colloquial) Contraction of what have you.

   Whatcha been up to?

3. (colloquial) Contraction of what do you.

   Whatcha think?

   Whatcha got there?

   Whatcha wanna do now?

4. (colloquial) Contraction of what you.

   Do whatcha gotta do!

   'Tain't whatcha do, it's the way thatcha do it.