The Ozark to English Online Dictionary

The Ozark manner of speech dates back to more relaxed times when people just said what they had to and didn't worry about "proper grammar." According to the folks in southwest Missouri, as a big city girl from the Chicago area, I have always had a funny accent, everyone I ran into would laugh and ask me what parts I was from. As a child will do, I tried to not stick out so much by learning to use their language, I don't think it worked to well because folks would still laugh at me and say how cute I was but I tried. <G> These terms are ones that I learned from my grandparents and cousins, and I still need to know a few of them when I talk to my my Aunts, but my cousins, who when we were children taught me most of these these terms, do not use any of them today.


Missouri Slang English Translation Proper Ozark Usage
Afeared Afraid He's afeared of his own shadow.
A-Fixin Getting Ready We're a-fixin to go to town.
Aim Intend or Plan I aim to go to town soon.
Biggety Stuck up or Show off Well aint she biggety lately!
Chimbley   Chimney Sanna Claus comes down the chimbley.
Clum Climbed I Clum that tree over yonder.
Crick Creek I'm goin to the crick to go swimmin.
Dawg Dog That shore is a dumb dawg
Doin's A function or gathering Are you goin to the doins tonight?
Dreckly Soon I'll be there directly
Et Eaten Have you et yet?
Fetch Bring or Go Get I want you to fetch the eggs fer me.
Fer For Lets rest here fer a spell.
Frog Strangler A Hard Rain That shor was a frog strangler.
Gander To look Take a gander at that there bird!
Git Get Go git some milk from that cow.
Gully warsher See Frog Strangler That shore was a gully warsher.
Haint Ain't I haint going to the store for Roastners today.
Hankerin Would like I have a hankerin for Roastners.
Hisn His That dog is hisn
Holler A Valley My family lives down in the Holler.
Kivver Covered That tree is kivvered with leaves.
Liketa Nearly I liketa broke my neck when I tripped
Mighty Definatly She shore is mighty mean today.
Naw No Naw, I aint a-fixen to go to the doins.
Parts Area or Neighborhood What parts do ya'll come from?
Peakid Pale or sick looking You look mighty peaked today.
Pill-uh Pillow That shore is a fluffy Pilluh
Pizen Poison There are pizen snakes in these parts.
Plumb Not a plumbing term I shore am plumb worn out (very tired).
Poke Paper Bag I'm a-fixin to put the eggs in a poke.
Pritnear Almost  I'm pritnear done with my mendin'.
Put Out Angry, Annoyed He shore was put out today.
Roastners Corn on the Cob Them roastners shore are good.
Set Sit Ya'll set and rest fer a spell
Shed of Get rid of I shore want to be shed of this cold.
Shore Sure I Shore like those flowers.
Skeered Afraid He is skeered of his own shadow.
Smart To hurt That leg shore smarts.
Spell A period of time I went to church fer a spell today.
Warsh Wash Warsh yer hands 'n face befer dinner.
Winder Window  The pie is coolin on the winder sill.
Ya'll You All Ya'll set with us fer a spell.
Yonder Over there Billy Bob went yonder to fetch hisn dawg
You'ns You or all You'ns better aim to come for vittles
Yourn Yours This aint mine is it yourn
Younguns Children You younguns better git to bed now.

AND... For those of you outside of Missouri, the proper pronunciation is Mu-zur-a
P.S. - For you Ozark-ians, the proper way to pronounce Chicago is Shi-caw-go!



E-Mail Susan if I have I forgotten any terms that belong here?

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A giant thanks to our vistors for their submissions to this page!!

This page is an original written by me (Susan), with additions from our Stone & Barry County, Missouri USGenWeb visitors. If you see it anywhere else, they stole it from us! Tell them that they are low down dirty hornswagglers who better be skeered and git shed of it right quick because we are a fixin to git the good lord to send a frog strangler their way and they shore will be smartin a spell after that.

© 1999 Susan Tortorelli All Rights Reserved