Hapless Bills Fan Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 I had a lightbulb moment today, about what a Southern girl means when she says "Why, Bless your Little Heart!" Despite having lived in Missouri for >30 years at this point, I am a Northerner - born and raised in Tonawanda, educated in New England. Missouri is sometimes borderline Southern in culture and attitudes and while I feel like I understand where folks are coming from, I've never identified as anything but a DamnYankee myself. Until today. So couple weeks ago, during our initial stage of cleanup on the flood-damaged property we own, this dude who looks like he solves every cleanup problem he's ever had with Servicemaster on Speed Dial drove up and offered to buy something on the property. I was wearing a N95 respirator, rubber boots, rubber gloves, and holding a squeege at the time. It's raining, it's smelly, I surely look like I'm busy. I gave him what I thought was the brush-off saying we we were going to clean up first and then discuss among ourselves what to do, then politely told him I needed to keep working when he started to ask me specific questions about the condition of what he wanted to buy. Inside, though, I was thinking: Vulture! And until I say I'm interested in selling, condition of my property is Nonaya Bizness. Fast forward to this am. It's relatively cool which for here means 85 degrees and humid enough to wring water out of the air. It's not as smelly because most of the mud and stuff has been cleaned away. The ground has dried enough that I can power-wash the exterior. By 11 am after 2 hrs work I'm dripping sweat and my rubber boots and duds are covered with muck, epoxy paint chips, and grime. Dude drives up in a sports car with tinted windows, gets out, approaches me. "What's up?" I say. He identifies himself as the same dude who came by a couple of weeks ago, wants to know what decision we've made about selling the item he wishes to buy. It just slipped out of my mouth: "Why BLESS your Little Heart!" So now I know. When a Southern girl says "Bless your Little Heart!" what she really may mean is: @#$% off, you %^&#head! This gives me a Modest Proposal for Bad Language on this board. When you find yourself thinking that someone needs to be told @#$% off, you %^&#head!, Just Say it: Why BLESS your Little Heart! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlimShady'sSpaceForce Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 Why BLESS your Little Heart! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plenzmd1 Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 6 minutes ago, ShadyBillsFan said: Why BLESS your Little Heart! Lordy..i need that today ..unfortunately from a Caps fan..but still made me laugh harder than i have in while! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Real Buffalo Joe Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 Oh honey, aren't you sweet? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Misterbluesky Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 26 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said: I had a lightbulb moment today, about what a Southern girl means when she says "Why, Bless your Little Heart!" Despite having lived in Missouri for >30 years at this point, I am a Northerner - born and raised in Tonawanda, educated in New England. Missouri is sometimes borderline Southern in culture and attitudes and while I feel like I understand where folks are coming from, I've never identified as anything but a DamnYankee myself. Until today. So couple weeks ago, during our initial stage of cleanup on the flood-damaged property we own, this dude who looks like he solves every cleanup problem he's ever had with Servicemaster on Speed Dial drove up and offered to buy something on the property. I was wearing a N95 respirator, rubber boots, rubber gloves, and holding a squeege at the time. It's raining, it's smelly, I surely look like I'm busy. I gave him what I thought was the brush-off saying we we were going to clean up first and then discuss among ourselves what to do, then politely told him I needed to keep working when he started to ask me specific questions about the condition of what he wanted to buy. Inside, though, I was thinking: Vulture! And until I say I'm interested in selling, condition of my property is Nonaya Bizness. Fast forward to this am. It's relatively cool which for here means 85 degrees and humid enough to wring water out of the air. It's not as smelly because most of the mud and stuff has been cleaned away. The ground has dried enough that I can power-wash the exterior. By 11 am after 2 hrs work I'm dripping sweat and my rubber boots and duds are covered with muck, epoxy paint chips, and grime. Dude drives up in a sports car with tinted windows, gets out, approaches me. "What's up?" I say. He identifies himself as the same dude who came by a couple of weeks ago, wants to know what decision we've made about selling the item he wishes to buy. It just slipped out of my mouth: "Why BLESS your Little Heart!" So now I know. When a Southern girl says "Bless your Little Heart!" what she really may mean is: @#$% off, you %^&#head! This gives me a Modest Proposal for Bad Language on this board. When you find yourself thinking that someone needs to be told @#$% off, you %^&#head!, Just Say it: Why BLESS your Little Heart! Caroline Ingalls,the mom on little house on the prairie used that 'term"...but so did the nasty lady that owned the general store. I don't recall my mom or gramma's using those words. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgewaycynic2013 Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 Wife the Second introduced me to ‘FOAD’. Serves me well when ‘why bless your little heart’ just won’t suffice. * So, did you sell it to him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 (edited) Why, bless your little heart. Now go F yourself! Edited July 30, 2019 by K-9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Hammersticks Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 Having lived in the south (if you can consider Charlotte the south ?), the “bless your heart” was thrown around a bunch. Mostly by the native southerners. It was explained to me that it can have two meanings... 1. Like if someone is going through a hardship, a person can show empathy by using the phrase. ”Tammy, I know you’re working 3 jobs to make ends meet after your husband fell ill. Bless your heart...”. 2. Can be used if someone is “special” or mentally challenged in some way. Again, expressing empathy (admittedly sometimes tongue in cheek). ”Tommy is in the 5th grade, but still has to wear Velcro sneakers because he can’t tie his shoes. Bless his heart.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hapless Bills Fan Posted July 30, 2019 Author Share Posted July 30, 2019 6 minutes ago, Ridgewaycynic2013 said: Wife the Second introduced me to ‘FOAD’. Serves me well when ‘why bless your little heart’ just won’t suffice. * So, did you sell it to him? No. He correctly deduced that when I said "Bless your Little Heart" I meant "FOAD", so he left hastily. Just now, Johnny Hammersticks said: Having lived in the south (if you can consider Charlotte the south ?), the “bless your heart” was thrown around a bunch. Mostly by the native southerners. It was explained to me that it can have two meanings... 1. Like if someone is going through a hardship, a person can show empathy by using the phrase. ”Tammy, I know you’re working 3 jobs to make ends meet after your husband fell ill. Bless your heart...”. 2. Can be used if someone is “special” or mentally challenged in some way. Again, expressing empathy (admittedly sometimes tongue in cheek). ”Tommy is in the 5th grade, but still has to wear Velcro sneakers because he can’t tie his shoes. Bless his heart.” Correct. It's when you add the "LITTLE" that it gains the possible meaning discussed above (it can also imply foolishness or idiocy) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Hammersticks Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 10 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said: Correct. It's when you add the "LITTLE" that it gains the possible meaning discussed above (it can also imply foolishness or idiocy) Ahhhh...never once heard “little” thrown in there. Haha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 (edited) 36 minutes ago, Misterbluesky said: Caroline Ingalls,the mom on little house on the prairie used that 'term"...but so did the nasty lady that owned the general store. I don't recall my mom or gramma's using those words. I think Caroline used it in a sarcastic, mocking way... IIRC... Used to put down Harriet & Nellie Oleson. Nels, the father wasn't a horrible human being. FWIW... I may be mistaken. Edited July 30, 2019 by ExiledInIllinois Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Misterbluesky Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 9 minutes ago, ExiledInIllinois said: I think Caroline used it in a sarcastic, mocking way... IIRC... Used to put down Harriet & Nellie Oleson. Nels, the father wasn't a horrible human being. FWIW... I may be mistaken. Oh that Nellie..biggest pisspot kid in the history of commercial tv. I hated Wayne on the Wonder Years too..punk. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgewaycynic2013 Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 (edited) Curses! Edited July 30, 2019 by Ridgewaycynic2013 Fat thumbs. Not intending to post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augie Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 I’m afraid my wife has used this expression for years. I, ummmm, hear it a lot. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhoTom Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 (edited) This would have been helpful earlier in my career: Edited July 30, 2019 by WhoTom 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
123719bwiqrb Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 I have some reservations about that. = That'll never f*ckin work. So more importantly, what was the item in question that you were not going to sell? And how long before dude tries to steal it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hapless Bills Fan Posted July 30, 2019 Author Share Posted July 30, 2019 1 hour ago, ScotSHO said: I have some reservations about that. = That'll never f*ckin work. I like it Quote So more importantly, what was the item in question that you were not going to sell? And how long before dude tries to steal it? Let's just say, not very stealable at present even assuming they jimmy the locked door ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CommonCents Posted July 31, 2019 Share Posted July 31, 2019 5 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said: I had a lightbulb moment today, about what a Southern girl means when she says "Why, Bless your Little Heart!" Despite having lived in Missouri for >30 years at this point, I am a Northerner - born and raised in Tonawanda, educated in New England. Missouri is sometimes borderline Southern in culture and attitudes and while I feel like I understand where folks are coming from, I've never identified as anything but a DamnYankee myself. Until today. So couple weeks ago, during our initial stage of cleanup on the flood-damaged property we own, this dude who looks like he solves every cleanup problem he's ever had with Servicemaster on Speed Dial drove up and offered to buy something on the property. I was wearing a N95 respirator, rubber boots, rubber gloves, and holding a squeege at the time. It's raining, it's smelly, I surely look like I'm busy. I gave him what I thought was the brush-off saying we we were going to clean up first and then discuss among ourselves what to do, then politely told him I needed to keep working when he started to ask me specific questions about the condition of what he wanted to buy. Inside, though, I was thinking: Vulture! And until I say I'm interested in selling, condition of my property is Nonaya Bizness. Fast forward to this am. It's relatively cool which for here means 85 degrees and humid enough to wring water out of the air. It's not as smelly because most of the mud and stuff has been cleaned away. The ground has dried enough that I can power-wash the exterior. By 11 am after 2 hrs work I'm dripping sweat and my rubber boots and duds are covered with muck, epoxy paint chips, and grime. Dude drives up in a sports car with tinted windows, gets out, approaches me. "What's up?" I say. He identifies himself as the same dude who came by a couple of weeks ago, wants to know what decision we've made about selling the item he wishes to buy. It just slipped out of my mouth: "Why BLESS your Little Heart!" So now I know. When a Southern girl says "Bless your Little Heart!" what she really may mean is: @#$% off, you %^&#head! This gives me a Modest Proposal for Bad Language on this board. When you find yourself thinking that someone needs to be told @#$% off, you %^&#head!, Just Say it: Why BLESS your Little Heart! Yes, exactly this. Learned this while working in NC. One of the marines in my brothers group of friends was a little brat. One afternoon he was giving a store clerk a hard time. She told him have a blessed day, the little boy from Georgia almost lost his mind The rest of us were northerners we didn’t understand until we got in the car and explained that she basically called him “special” 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CowgirlsFan Posted July 31, 2019 Share Posted July 31, 2019 65 year of age. Born in 1953 in Fort Worth Texas. I have NEVER used that expression. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted July 31, 2019 Share Posted July 31, 2019 4 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said: Let's just say, not very stealable at present even assuming they jimmy the locked door ? The fact that you have a 1998 Pontiac Fiero isn’t necessarily something to brag about. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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