or·ner·y
[awr-nuh-ree]–adjective, -ner·i·er, -ner·i·est. Dialect .
1.
ugly and unpleasant in disposition or temper: No one can get along with my ornery cousin.
2.
stubborn: I can't do a thing with that ornery mule.
3.
low or vile.
4.
inferior or common; ordinary.
Well, after much debate and input, I was none the wiser in the pronunciation of this word, which is proving quite true to its definition. Looking it up on dictionary.com (because, sadly, our own dictionary got water-logged in our last move. I'm on the lookout for a raggedy, old Webster's at any thrift store...), I found the pronunciation to be a mix of both western and midwestern styles. AWR-nuh-ree. Yet, when I tried pushing that volume button next to the word and pronunciation , the lady says it the way I do (click the link up above to prove my point)!! Woo-hoo!
** I may not be very competitive when it comes to physical sports, but the areas of grammar, spelling, pronunciation, punctuation, and sentence structure are MY DOMAIN. Sounding well-educated is such a pleasant thing. Call me dorky, but I find such beauty and joy in mastering the English language. I end my rant here, alas, as I am sounding rather circumlocutious. **
And, now, off to a blissful afternoon nap, as my ornery daughter has taxed all energy the night sleep provided and I find myself uncontrollably wilting.
8 comments:
I find this discussion quite funny. Several years ago (before Chris), I had this ongoing debate with a friend. I pronounce it the way you do and find it very correct. However, he was all for the alternative. Thanks for the smile!
I say it the way you do too :)
Ha ha ha ha ha! That's really all I have to say. Good stuff. Your English jokes are cracking me up.
Oops - I say on-ree. But I'm from Indiana, so I mispronounce (or lazily pronounce) a lot of words!!
I say On-ree too, and I will continue too! ;)
But, I am like you. I love mastering the English language as well. I love finding out meanings of words, and spelling then correctly, then using the ones no one has any idea as to what they mean. :) It's fun to explain it to them.
I feel your need for lovely grammar and pronunciation. It drives me loopy to hear people pronounce "respite" with a long i vowel and when they use "apropos" incorrectly.
Here's the next debate: two spaces between sentences or one???
BTW, I just learned a year or two ago that if a boy was "cocky," it wasn't spelled "caulky"!!! :-) Thought you'd enjoy the laugh at my expense! Wow, I was a cool one...
Melissa, you're too funny! Two spaces between sentences, unless you're texting. Then just one. :-)
Caulky!!! Too funny! "The cocky boy was caulking the bathroom." :-)
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