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Ornery vs Cranky - What's the difference?

ornery | cranky |

In obsolete|lang=en terms the difference between ornery and cranky

is that ornery is (obsolete) commonplace, inferior while cranky is (obsolete) weak, unwell.

As adjectives the difference between ornery and cranky

is that ornery is (appalachian) cantankerous, stubborn, disagreeable while cranky is (obsolete) weak, unwell.

ornery

English

Adjective

(er)
  • (Appalachian) Cantankerous, stubborn, disagreeable.
  • * 1990 . , Rabbit at Rest
    • “Grandpa, what’s ‘ornery’?” / “Oh, you know. Mean. Contrary. Rebellious.”
  • * 1939 . From the Script of (1939)
    • Curley: "I ain't sayin' I don't share your sentiments, Buck, but you're a born fool. First place Luke would kill the Kid in a gun-fight. Second place if Luke did get shot he's got two brothers just as ornery as he is, and if Ike Plummer didn't kill the Kid then Hank Plummer would."
  • (humorous, Southern US) Mischievous, prankish, teasing, disagreeable but in a good way.
  • (obsolete) Commonplace, inferior.

    • Derived terms

    * ornerily * orneriness

    cranky

    English

    Adjective

    (er)
  • (obsolete) Weak, unwell.
  • Not in good working condition; shaky.
  • * 1914 , '', ''The River of Doubt ,
    • We had seven canoes, all of them dugouts. One was small, one was cranky , and two were old, waterlogged, and leaky. The other three were good.
  • Grouchy, irritable; easily upset.
    • He got home from a long day at work tired and cranky .
  • Not in perfect mental working order; eccentric, peculiar.
  • * 1934 December, ,
    • Uncle Esau is as cranky as hell, and a peculiar old duck, but I think he'll like a fine upstanding young man as big as you be.
  • (archaic) Full of spirit; spirited.