Date: Thu, 20 Apr 1995 11:43:19 -0500
From: Grant Barrett gbarrett[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]KB.COM
Subject: South East Missouri
South East Missouri
My father's family hails from southeast Missouri and they have some
pronunciations you might find interesting. Please pardon my approximation of the
sounds; I don't do this for a living.
-- pliers ... /PLOW-erz/ My father uses this pronunciation exclusively.
-- St. Louis ... /SANT loo-is/ They pronounce the Saint in St. Charles, St.
Genevieve and St. anything the same way. For the record, nobody I know says
Saint Looey.
-- ornery ... /AHN-ree/ This one is so common among family, friends, etc. that
I suspect many of them don't know that it can be pronounced any other way. I do
know that /AHN-ree/ has a different nuance than /OR-ner-ee/, the former meaning
intentional or curable stubbornness and the latter meaning just plain born that
way or stubborn beyond all help. See the next item for a related pronunciation
and definition split.
-- ignorant /IG-nert/ This pronunciation usually means eccentric or stupid
behavior often intended by the perpetrator to raise dander in onlookers; or
obstinacy about a point in contention, even in the face of overwhelming evidence
to the contrary. /IG-nor-ant/ is used when the textbook definition of ignorant
is intended.