Annette in London asked Just what does "ornery" mean? I've seen it used by Americans many times and never been quite sure...
I grew up in south western Pa near the WVa line. My Yankee dictionaries all give the same definition that others have posted but to me an ornery child/person is devilish, mischievious. So is that the meaning in a certain area of the country, in my family or my mind???! The word hasn't made it this far south! Never met an Aussie that knows/uses it. They use 'cheeky' instead. I'm wondering what it means to Lynn in Clarksburg? Pat from Pennsylvania answered I think of ornery as a cowboy word. It means contrary, stubborn, bent on having (it's) own way. Think of a child scowling at a dish of oatmeal that he refuses to eat. And Clay said - Stubborn, mean-spirited, yes. You've known ornery (pronounces ORN-ree) people. They're hostile and angry at the world for no particular reason, and want everyone else to feel the same way. But here in the "south", the word is often used in an almost affectionate kind of way - as in "just to be ornery..." Cheers, Jackie in Brisbane, Australia - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
