ornery

ornery pronunciation

/ORN-ree/

Meaning

Call somebody ornery and you mean they will dig in and give you grief. It can land mean, or it can land almost fond, like an old mule that kicks just because it can. Kids, dogs, and granddaddies all catch the word. In redneck talk it covers cranky, contrary, and a little bit of devilment.

How folks use it

• “That ornery mule won't take a step till he's ready.”
• “Don't mind Grandpa, he's just feeling ornery this morning.”

Origin and etymology

American dialect squeezed ordinary into ornery in the early 1800s. First it meant common or low-grade, then slid toward mean and cantankerous by the late 1800s. Rural Southern and Midwestern mouths kept the clipped sound and the contrary sense.

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