If you’ve ever taken the New York Times’ Dialect Quiz, you know that what you say says a lot about where you’re from — and there’s one dialectism that’s very near and dear to our hearts: ope.
While the word “ope” is ubiquitous among native Midwesterners, it has caught on nationally as a Midwestern inside joke. We like to think it’s just that catchy.
Ope is classified as a “surprise word,” or a tiny exclamation of surprise — as in, “Ope, sorry I bumped into you.” But that doesn’t stop it from taking on colloquial meaning.
The true etymology is most likely lost, but some speculate that it’s similar to “oops.” Common words tend to shorten over time, like “yes” to “yeah,” “thank you” to “thanks,” and maybe “oops” to “ope.”
But there are rules: you wouldn’t use “ope” in a serious situation, and you only use it when you’re the one at fault (which, incidentally, is 99% of the time). Otherwise, you get that classic Midwestern sarcasm. And of course, Midwestern expert Charlie Berens’ rule: “When in doubt, ope it out.”
We laid out some common situations for “ope” in this video.
Another benefit of using “ope?” It’s a shorter way of saying “I’m sorry” when you bump into someone, reinforcing the Midwestern politeness we’re known for. It also helps Midwesterners to spot each other in the wild.
If you’re interested in learning more about the history of this or other Midwestern dialectisms, check out the following titles: “How to Speak in Midwestern,” and “The Midwest Survival Guide.”
Now, although Missouri is very much a part of the Midwest, we understand KC is just a stone’s throw from the South. Stay tuned for our next word lesson — “y’all,” and let us know if there’s another KC word or phrase you want us to dissect.
