Bless Your Heart....this is not such a positive saying in the south. If you hear something like,"You got your hair cut, bless your heart," or "she is having an affair, bless her heart," you are not being complemented or hoping for blessings for you.
I explained this to some of my northern friends and since then they would end an e-mail or converstaion with "bless your heart" and it would crack us all up. When in a staff meeting one time a coworker actually used this in a sentence and three or four of us about fell over trying not to laugh out loud.
Since returning to the south I hear this statement all the time. My mom knows that it is not a complement and she will say it to me every once in a while just to get me laughing. The bad thing is that I hear it being said all the time here at the church I work for. I can't just start laughing when someone says this. I have actually bitten my tongue a couple of times to keep from laughing out loud.
If they would just learn to say "oofta." Actually I heard this the other day...it was good to hear someone use a word at the end of the sentence taht truly expresses what you are trying to say instead of trying to cover up negative feelings with "bless your heart."
Southern sayings crack me up......oofta!
Ebby Ray
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
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Well now.. Let's go beyond "Bless Your Heart". Most southerners are mentally challenged, especially with names therefore most people are named sweetheart, honey, darling or some other endearing term. This actually means the person speaking to you has no clue what your mother named you and probably doesn't care. If they say, "Honey, bless your heart." you are in deep caca, another southern word... Another southern thing is decorating for Christmas. Ebby has been taking pictures to share and I am sure she will post them soon.
Hey Ebby- the English teacher in me just can't help it (I know- "Bless my heart" for correcting you). The word is usually spelled uffda. Since you'll soon be coming back to the land of "yah" and "you betcha," I figured you should know. :) Get ready for some cold, ice, and snow in January... uffda! I can't wait to see you!!!
Really? I thought it was oo's. Guess I didn't live there long enough after all. We have been watching the weather and you guys are really getting hit. I hope Ronnie can fly in and out next weekend.
January isn't far off!!!!
Bless you heart is another way for saying:
Watch out, I'm about to say something mean that I wouldn't say to someone's face ...
LOL -- I can't believe there is a correct way to spell uffda. Ha!
Bless you heart is another way for saying:
Watch out, I'm about to say something mean that I wouldn't say to someone's face ...
LOL -- I can't believe there is a correct way to spell uffda. Ha!
I am not sure what "decorating for Christmas" has to do with the south. I guess since I live in Ky I am in between north and south. The north would probably say south and south would probably say north. But "since I ain't from 'round here" (pronounced "hare"), I am still a "yankee"-bless my heart!
Anyway, share your thoughts on the south and decorating for Christmas.
You're moving back to MINNESOTA!!!!! Yay! I almost peed my pants from excitement when I heard the news! Bless your hearts! :)
Deanna, Kentucky is the south. Fer-shizzle.
Yes we are moving back. I hope we get to see you when we get there.
And yes, Kentucky is definately south of the line.
Let's just say, from someone from the deep south, that "bless your heart or her heart or his heart" is not always negative. From a family with many Southern women who use this expression a lot and I mean a lot it can mean a very sympathetic compassion when hearing of someones tragedy, misfortune, or otherwise not so favorable circumstances. When expressed in terms of someone doing something bad it can also mean they understand this person really doesn't know any better.
So for those who think southerners are mentally challenged, "bless your heart". And caca is not a southern word!!!
My entire family is southern through and through. I was born in North Carolina and raised in South Carolina. I inadvertantly left out the fact that when someone is speaking in regards to someone that is sick, dying, dead, or having some terriable hardship, "Bless your heart" is a real statement. They truly hope for blessings.
When someone says "bless your heart you got a hair cut" or "bless your heart you are drunk" they aren't wishing blessing on you. They are thinking how stupid you are or there is another statement coming that is going to be equally as negative.
I wouldn't make fun of a saying from a part of the country that I myself am not from. I am southern and therefore feel I can make fun of myself, my family, and those who say things like Wal-Mark or "can you carry me to the store?" or "I wonst went to the swimming pool." (What is wonst?)
just so you know, ma, i taught some of my friends here to say uffda. they love it!
"And caca is not a southern word!!!"
Sure it is, from the deep deep South, otherwise known as Mexico. Or maybe from Spain, the double-deep South of England. South of something, fer sher.
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