Bless your heart

"Bless your heart" is a phrase common to the Southern United States.[1][2] The phrase has multiple meanings and is used to express genuine sympathy but sometimes as an insult that conveys condescension, derision, or contempt. It may also be spoken as a precursor to an insult to mitigate its severity. Meanings range from "you are dumb but can't help it" to "fuck you" and are primarily imparted through context and tone.[3] While common in the South, it is primarily used by individuals who wish to "be sweet” and do not wish to "act ugly."[4][5]

For the album by the Allman Betts Band, see Bless Your Heart (album). For the song by Freddie Hart, see Bless Your Heart (song).
Look up bless your heart in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Notable examples

In 2016, Nikki Haley, then governor of South Carolina, received extensive press coverage for saying the phrase in response to an attack by presidential candidate Donald Trump.[6][7][8]

Speaking about ex-husband Ben Affleck's large back tattoo of a rising phoenix, Jennifer Garner said, "You know what we would say in my hometown about that? 'Bless his heart.'"[9]

See also

References
  1. "Aw, Bless Her Heart : Your Southern Decoder Explaining "bless your heart" and everything else". Atlantamagazine.com. November 2012. Retrieved 2016-03-02.
  2. "'Bless your heart' and 14 other southern sayings yankees just don't understand". AL.com. 2 November 2013. Retrieved 2016-03-02.
  3. "How To Respond To "Bless Your Heart"". Southern Living. Retrieved 2022-09-22.
  4. Dyer, Candace (1 November 2012). "Your Southern Decoder". Atlanta Magazine. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  5. Norling, Hannah (22 July 2015). "The Northern Southerner: Bless My Heart?". Southern Living. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  6. Politics. "Nikki Haley dismisses Donald Trump". Business Insider. Retrieved 2016-03-02.
  7. Krieg, Gregory. "Nikki Haley response to Trump attack: 'Bless your heart' - CNNPolitics.com". Cnn.com. Retrieved 2016-03-02.
  8. Gass, Nick. "Nikki Haley to Donald Trump: 'Bless your heart'". Politico.com. Retrieved 2016-03-02.
  9. Smith, Krista (February 26, 2016). "Exclusive: Jennifer Garner's Frank Talk About Kids, Men, and Ben Affleck". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
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