Snot lidachur...New book celebrates Hoosier linguistic economy.

• Author: Kaelble, Steve
• Position: Opener - Brief Article

It's difficult to discern in a telephone interview just how firmly the subjects tongue is planted in his cheek. John W. Terhune sure sounds serious when he discusses the linguistic advancements Hoosiers have given the world. But when he calls the way Hoosiers talk "the New Global Language" he can't be for real...can he?

Still, the Indianapolis chiropractor insists that his new book, Why Hoosiers Can't Pronounce "Indianapolis, "is not a joke. It isn't a book about stupid Hoosier colloquialisms, Terhune says. "It's not poking fun. To me, this looks more at the contributions that Hoosiers have made to the English language."

Hoosiers, famous for their conservatism, have perfected the art of conserving syllables and words, Terhune explains. "We are the masters of deletion," he says. Hoosiers will drop a consonant or a vowel or a whole syllable whenever possible, and even delete entire words from phrases.

"If we can do without it, we take it out. Instead of saying four or five words we say one word," says Terhune. He calls this the "Less is More Rule," and says it is the foundation of the "New Global Language."

His new book includes definitions of 263 words and phrases as spoken in Hoosier-speak. A "forner," for example, is defined as "a guy not from Indiana," as well as a rock band. "weeda" is Hoosier for "we would have." "Innersted," the book says, is the way famed Indiana attorney and radio host Greg Garrison pronounces "interested." And "date" means "to eight," as Indiana Pacers color commentator Bobby "Slick" Leonard says when another team has whittled the Pacer lead down to eight points.

Hearing the words and phrases spoken is a key to understanding. That's why Why Hoosiers Can't Pronounce "Indianapolis" includes a compact disc featuring both noteworthy and average Hoosiers pronouncing the various examples from the book. "I consider the disc a critical part of the whole package, not just an extension," Terhune says.

Some 48 people participated in the recording sessions. "Three or four, I paid for," he says. "The rest are just Hoosiers." Voices that central Indiana Hoosiers might recognize include radio personalities Kristi Lee and Jay Baker and former TV news anchors Diane Willis and Clyde Lee.

Though Terhune considered having a local publisher produce Why Hoosiers Can't Pronounce "Indianapolis," he ended up publishing it himself. "I thought about different ways that I could present this to potential publishers,"...