bless her heart

Southern lingo isn’t an easy thing to understand. Moving from Florida to Georgia was like entering a whole new world where the natives spoke a language I could barely get my head around. One of these native sayings is "bless her heart".

You see, a native southerner has the ability to insult a person while sounding extremely nice at the same time. You'd almost swear they just commiserated with the person under discussion, which, they probably did. But they also insulted the sin out of them.

Folks in the south say "bless her heart" when they want to say something nasty about someone. They pretty up the nasty thing by making it sound like they're truly in disbelief when really they're not so surprised at all.

For example they might say something like "I just can't believe she left her children and husband and ran off with her brother-in-law" when really they've known about the affair for years and saw the whole thing coming. Then they ALWAYS tack on the phrase "bless her heart". That sort of absolves them from their hateful statement and keeps their way to heaven clear.

Everyone is at risk for this blessing. Its an equal opportunity insult for friends, acquaintances, and politicians. Even someone they know who takes up painting and has a disastrous one woman show at the local American Legion. If her artwork is atrocious someone would likely comment "I'm sure she did her best, bless her heart" which translated from southern speak means "Gosh this 'artwork' is UGLY, what on earth made her waste her time making this clap trap when she should have been home minding her babies and cooking for her husband?"

Southerners remark that Northerners are so slow witted that they often fail to realize they've even been insulted. Those sweet sounding insults can sneak up on you. So the next time you're in conversation with a southerner, watch your back. If they start blessing your heart you've fallen victim to mean spirited niceness!

Of course, not being raised in Georgia, I won't be blessing your heart any time soon.

Comments

[Brandy]

You are so funny! Of course, it's true. :-D

[Karyn]

I am so LOLing at this post Felicia!!! I think I *almost* get it now!

[AmyDe]

Also translated "you're so stupid it's pathetic"

[Caroline]

Yay for the back-handed compliment! Southerners obviously got it down to a science. ;)

[Tizzalicious]

Always useful to know! :P I'm glad my half American boyfriend comes from the north :P

[beverly]

My transplanted-to-the-south sister picked up that one as well as the ever-snarky "how nice for you". Me? I'm northern through and through...no sugar coating here. We just say it like we mean it!

[Amy]

Hee hee, it is funny and you know where I live, it is said all the time. Especially when a baby is born that is hmmm, not so cute. Tsk, tsk, "Bless that baby's little heart."

[Amy]

There is also a lot of "tsking" in the south, a lot.

[Randi]

This is hilarious! Being from California, this is news to me!

[Jenny]

I have some southern relatives... I'll make sure to listen more carefully this reunion!
Nice blog... love those cute little owls! Maybe I could show them off on my CraftTestDummies.com blog, with your permission. I do lots of recycled goodies!-jenny

[amy]

GOOD to know. Seriously. I think I have been duped in that fashion. I've heard a similarly used expression in my life: "salt of the earth."

[Betty @ She's Sew Pretty]

Too funny! Well, I swear I've been blessed a few times lately. Hmpph. What kind of flower is in that picture? It is gorgeous.

[Mymsie]

SO true - I learned it at my parents' knees. :)

[Vee]

In Canada we hear that from people living on the East coast... but it is meant in a much kinder manner. Almost like they do actually feel sorry for somebody who has made what that person feels is a blunder of some sort...

If I lived in the south....I would be blessed regularly.... lol ......

[DeeLight]

I LOVE it!! So funny, but sadly it's true. I live in Okla. not exactly the "South", but there is a bit of "Southern" influence. Oh, and "Southern Ladies" don't gossip. They Share!!

[Kathleen]

Oh my gosh, that's hilarious!! I guess I'm one of those slow witted northerners, I had no idea!

[pam]

Way funny and sad but true! My grandmother use to say this all the time. The thing is, you have to say it long and drawn out.
Blessssss Heeeeerrrrr Heeeeaarrttt!

[Michaele]

Oh, don't forget "Well, aren't you *just* the sweetest thing?" delivered with a smile and possibly a deceptive reassuring touch on the arm... that translates to "I'll scratch your eyes out if you ever do/say/think that to me/about me again."

:) Heh heh heh, gotta love Southern Belles!

[Alison Whittington]

Wow, I had no idea.

But it doesn't surprise me... The culture shock I've had since moving to Virginia from Philadelphia is way, way worse than the culture shock I had moving from Reno, Nevada to East Germany at 16.

The hardest thing is thinking of Virginia as the South - Virginians all do, but I swear the local accent is much more Philly-New Jersey than southern.

Please, give me more translations!

[leslie]

hahaha. i hear ya on that. i live in south carolina for a while.
and that is too funny.

[Libby]

Hmmm! something worth remembering in case I ever come over on holiday!!

[Tracy]

So that's what that really means! Yes, more translastions, please! Southern Speak does puzzle me sometimes ;o) Happy Day, Felicia ((HUGS))

[Danielle Nilsson]

Heheheheheh so funny! I won't be using that phrase at all!!!

I'm ok with the popular "Eh?!" from Canada heehehhehe :)

Those flowers in the photo are GORGEOUS!!!

[jessica]

As someone who has never stepped foot in the South---very good information.

[bethany]

And the photo was so pretty!! Now I understand my mother-in-law!!!!! I must be a slow-witted Northerner!! It's more of a "love her heart" in rural Pennsylvania! She probably says this all the time about me to her friends... "She is trying to blah, blah, blah, love her heart!" ugh.

[Angela]

As my dear great grandmother (bless her heart) once said to my father -- "want to make something of it Yankee?"

Ooops -- I think my southern roots are showing again. :0)

[Nicole]

"Once upon a time, there were two southern belles..." Your post made me remember a joke that I'm going to share on my blog...you'll love it!

[rochambeau]

Hi Fluffy,
Just here to report that Pinky hasn't said "bless her heart", not once since she's arrived. Want to add, not that I use the prase, but in Texas it is used also as a term of endearment. For example: You do something nice for a person like you sending Pinky. I might say "bless your heart Fluffy" you are the absolute best. Which you are, though I would never say quite that way as my parlance is a major mishmach. I like to say: You D Best Fluffy Flowers!! ;-)

Thank you for informing me of usage of BYH in this post. I will now be aware, have my antlers up for and the passive aggressive measings. It will be interesting to see "What's what", when we move back to Tx.

Hope you are well friend,
xox
Constance

[rochambeau]

ps What an intriguing blossom!

[Tamar]

Too funny! I tried this out on my (southern) husband and he was all like, "yeah? of course." He didn't find it the least bit odd - bless his heart.

[Katherine]

Too funny, Felicia! The phrase is almost a "get out of jail free" card for verbal assault. A real eye opener to this Northern girl married to a man with a Southern mama.

[Amanda]

I have so many favorite Southern "insults"- whoops, I mean sayings... I've never heard a Southerner say Northerners are slow witted. I usually hear complains that Northerners talk too much with their hands, and too fast. Anyway, loved reading this post!!!

[Crafty Mama]

Yes! I've gotten that quite a few times. There are some Floidians who say it too. I have been guilty of it too.
I get quite a lot of "Aren't you cute?" when I'm acting like an idiot- which is often.

[shannon]

I love this, it's so true. I moved from Washington state (Pennsylvania native) to Perry, GA. Talk about culture shock! I had to constantly ask people to repeat themselves because a lot of Central GA natives speak slowly with a THICK accent. Mind boggling! :)

[Janae]

That's too funny! I've heard of that, but you spelled it out!! Thanks for stopping by my blog!