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.