Word For The Day -- Crossfoot

In a spreadsheet, you have the traditional option of summing up a series of numbers in a column, but it will also offer you the option to sum up numbers arranged horizontally in a row.

Today I learned that this (in some circumstances) has its own name-- to wit: crossfooting, which you would already have guessed if you read the title of this post.

Hey, I'm not writing these to create suspense, you know.

So anyway, apparently the traditional summing of entries in a column is or at least was called "footing" in accountancy circles.  If you have several columns that break down figures into various categories, with a running total at the end, a good accountant will add up the individual column totals and check it against the running total.  So after you've footed down, you foot sideways in order to cross check your results.  Viola!  Crossfooting.