What does it mean in the South when they say bless your heart?
What does it mean in the South when they say bless your heart?
Perhaps the most common phrase distinct to the South is “bless your heart”. When I first relocated here, I heard it directed at me a lot more often than I care to admit. Although sometimes uttered with the sweetest of intent, more times than not, it’s the Southern way of politely dismissing you.
What does it mean to bless someone’s heart?
Used to express gratitude. (Compare bless you, God bless you.) (especially Southern US) Used to soften criticism or express pity. ( Compare the British usage of bless (“expression of endearment or belittlement”).)
How do you respond to bless your heart?
The appropriate response to ‘bless my heart’ is usually a sympathetic nod of the head. Not too emphatic (because that can be misinterpreted), but just enough to show that you understand or agree. If you’re so moved, you can also offer a validating or concerned ‘bless your heart’ in return.
Is Bless your heart passive aggressive?
Bless Your Heart: The Sliding Scale of Passive Aggressive [Satire]
Where did Bless your heart come from?
The earliest usage in print is in Henry Fielding’s 1732 play The Miser. In it, a butler says of a new mistress who’s bought beer for the domestic staff, ‘Bless her heart! Good lady! I wish she had a better bridegroom.
What is the origin of Bless your heart?
Can Bless your heart be positive?
In most parts of the country, telling someone “Bless your heart” would be heard as a positive gesture. In the South, however, you may get a different reaction. In a recent story on the gay marriage debate in Alabama, the New York Times quoted someone using the phrase “Bless his heart.”
Is it rude to say Bless your heart?
The phrase has multiple meanings. It may be used to express genuine sympathy or as a precursor to an insult to soften the blow. However, it may also be used in an insulting way meaning “you are dumb or otherwise impaired, but you can’t help it” by individuals who wish to “be sweet” and do not wish to “act ugly”.
Where did bless your heart originate?
Where did the term Bless your heart come from?
