{"id":7378,"date":"2022-08-15T22:15:03","date_gmt":"2022-08-15T22:15:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=7378"},"modified":"2022-08-15T22:15:03","modified_gmt":"2022-08-15T22:15:03","slug":"ope-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/ope-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Ope \u2013 Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Did a nice old lady say '<em>ope<\/em>' and squeeze past you in the store? This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.<\/p>\n<h2>Meaning<\/h2>\n<p><strong>The expression '<em>ope<\/em>' is midwestern slang. People will usually use the word before they say something else. It's common for people to use it before they say <em>'sorry.'<\/em> Some suggest that '<em>ope<\/em>' is another word for <em>'oops,' 'ugh,' <\/em>or<em> 'uh huh.'<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If you say '<em>ope<\/em>' to someone in the Midwest, you're likely apologizing for your actions, albeit minor discretions. It's a way of expressing your concern to others. You can also use '<em>ope<\/em>' to intensify an apologetic statement.<\/p>\n<h2>Example Usage<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cOpe, sorry, I\u2019m just going to sneak past ya here, don\u2019t mind me. I won\u2019t get in your way, I promise.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat do you mean you\u2019re going away for Thanksgiving weekend? Ope, the whole family will be here, and everyone will miss you around the dinner table.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOpe, I\u2019m sorry about the outburst. I didn\u2019t mean it. Please can you forgive me? I\u2019m just an old man, and I don\u2019t think about what I say before I say it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s alright, no bother, Ope, sorry, I thought we were going with you to the mission to hand everything out to the people. We\u2019d also like to be a part of that, if possible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOpe, sorry, I didn\u2019t see you there. I\u2019m so clumsy, bumping into people all the time. Please accept my apology.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-7379\" src=\"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/OPE-254x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"254\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/OPE-254x300.jpg 254w, https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/OPE.jpg 467w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 254px) 100vw, 254px\" \/> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-7380\" src=\"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/ope-300x269.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"269\" srcset=\"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/ope-300x269.png 300w, https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/ope.png 453w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Origin<\/h2>\n<p>The expression \u2018ope\u2019 originates from slang used in the Midwestern United States, particularly in Wisconsin and surrounding areas. Originally, \u2018ope\u2019 is said to be a shortened pronunciation of \u2018oops.\u2019 Language experts agree that people who use a term frequently will eventually find ways to shorten it, even if it\u2019s something that\u2019s already short, like \u2018oops.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>If you use \u2018oops\u2019 enough, it eventually turns to \u2018oop\u2019 and \u2018ope.\u2019 \u2018Ope\u2019 shows that shortening a single syllable to save the effort of saying the letter \u2018s\u2019 isn\u2019t beyond reason. Another good example is the \u2018shortening of \u2018yes\u2019 into \u2019yea.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Some language experts believe \u2018ope\u2019 is the evolution of the word \u2018oh\u2019 with a \u2018p\u2019 tacked on to the end. Todd Van Luling wrote an article titled, \u2018The Story of the World\u2019s Most Annoying \u2018Word\u2019 You Can\u2019t Stop Saying,\u2019 where he refers to \u2018ope\u2019 in his work.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"School Of Ope\" width=\"512\" height=\"288\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qb_-taYLRfY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>Phrases Similar to Ope<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Oops.<\/li>\n<li>Ugh.<\/li>\n<li>Uh huh.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Phrases Opposite to Ope<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>N\/A.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What is the Correct Saying?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Ope.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Ways People May Say Ope Incorrectly<\/h2>\n<p>The term 'ope' is not an acronym and doesn't stand for anything. It's a unique term used exclusively in the Midwest and by people who grew up in the midwestern United States. The expression has versatile use and suits informal conversations. You wouldn't use it in professional language.<\/p>\n<h2>Acceptable Ways to Phrase Ope<\/h2>\n<p>You can use the term 'ope' to replace expressions like 'oops' and 'uh huh' or 'ugh.' Typically. 'ope' is a niche term, isolated to use in the Midwestern United States, particularly around states like Wisconsin. Some people see it as country slang used by farmers and people behind the current English vernacular.<\/p>\n<p>However, 'ope' is somewhat of a language tradition in the Midwest, and it's a well-understood and frequently used term to describe surprise, satisfaction, or agreement with others. You can use 'ope' in social situations in text messages and verbal exchanges. Both men and women can use the term as it's not a gender-specific term<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p class=\"mb-2\">Did a nice old lady say 'ope' and squeeze past you in the store? This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The expression 'ope' is midwestern slang. People will usually use the word before they say something else. It's common for people to use it before they say 'sorry.' Some suggest [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7378"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7378"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7378\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8010,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7378\/revisions\/8010"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7378"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7378"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7378"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}