Awwww... bless
If you’ve been in the UK for any longer than a couple of weeks, you’ve probably come across that - is it a phrase? a statement? an exclamation? a remark? No... it’s Superman! (sorry, heheh, got carried away). I don’t even know how to classify it, frankly, other than filing it under the “Arrrrrgh” category in my mind. (Note: It’s a pretty haphazard filing system, but I can usually find what I want in there – especially things in the “Arrrrrgh” category.)
The reason it annoys me when people say “Bless” (with or without the preceding “awwww”) is that there seems to be no real meaning to it, and it sure isn’t expressive of honest feelings! Except when it’s said (usually WITH the “awwww”) while cooing at or about a baby or a puppy or something cute, I’ve found that it precedes or supersedes succeeds a right royal bitching about somebody.
She’s always coming over and telling me what to do... bless her.
He just doesn’t listen to anybody, bless him.
She actually thinks she’s good at her work, bless her.
Bless, he’s a rude, interfering man but he’s got his heart in the right place. (Another of those phrases I detest – we ALL have our hearts in the right place! If not, we’d be Vulcans. Or dead.)
It’s not “bless” that people should be saying in those circumstances – the truthful version would be “damn him” or “curse her”. Saying “bless” doesn’t make the bitching any less bitchy and it certainly doesn’t make the speaker sound like an angel who has only good feelings for nasty people. I don’t like angels, in any case – too boring to be perfect all the time! So bitch away, folks, and feel good about letting your true feelings get a good airing!
Oh, and have you ever been “Gobblessed”? Ugh. Could there BE anything that sounds worse? (emphasis as Chandler in Friends.)
Edited to add: Hoy, how come nobody noticed that I used the word "supersede" wrongly the first time around? I did have a teeny doubt about whether it was correctly used when I was writing the post, but it rhymed so nicely with "precede" ... plus I couldnt be bothered at the time to look up the usage. It kept popping into my mind, though, so I finally looked it up - and hmph! laziness just doesnt pay.
13 comments:
I've encountered that phrase from my friends in Northern Ireland and I've wondered what it meant. I'd figured it was a sort of expression of sympathy, but now I suppose I know better.
I've been told that in the South in the US, the equivalent phrase is, "Bless her heart." When a woman says about another woman, "Bless her heart", it really means, "What a ******g bitch!" I don't know how much truth there is to that, though.
i think ppl want to be bitchy but want to tone it down a bit when in public...its like i know wat im trying to say n u know wat im trying to say but im just not saying it out loud..
Laziness...just does not pay but makes YOU pay. Very annoying but tis the reality. Anycase, I am far removed from these 'blessings' he he.
Much better than the f*** one hears so much of here!
Kamini.
damn! saw there was a new post up and swore i'd get back to it in a bit -- by which time, bless you, you've gone and edited it!! :-)
Richard: Men say it too... although not as much as women, I've noticed.
Mandira: Absolutely. Too DAMN right!
Teesu: :)
Kamini: Oh god, the F word is used as casually as it can get - you hear 10-year-olds using it around here, in company!
Brinda: I KNOW you mean "damn you" :D
Too bad your neck o' the woods isn't spared from these 'trendy' expressions either; but there is a bright side-it could be a lot worse (yes, worse than 'neck o' the woods'), like the SF Bay Area favorite-hella. It's hella warm for this time of the year, etc.
Only thing worse than having to put up with loathsome youth spouting that ridiculous 'adjective' about is having to keep calm when people in their 20's (or older!) use it.
Makes me hella mad, that!
(Glad to hear the radishes appealed to you-just want to make you get crunchin' when you look at them, don't they?!)
Hope all's well, in..er...your neck o' the woods. (sorry, couldn't help it!)
hmmm.. i've never heard the "awww bless"
anyways... can't update like before lady, i don't have a normal weekend and my days off are in the middle of the week and it gets divided up for many other things... no time to breathe properly if you ask me. no time to take pics either.. how am i suppsoed to update if i got nothing to update about? :P
I confess to having used it myself - but always in the spirit of sarcasm.
It so annoys people, it's true.
Hi,
Thanks for stopping by my Scribbling.
I live in New York and never would have guessed the word Bless would ever be used that way.
I enjoyed your Scribble on quitting.
Look forward to return visits.
Have a great weekend.
I know-I HATE this sugar coating!
Shyam: It's like our Indians saying : paavam (tamizh), she isnt able to do any work (read: she's a lazy slob)or paapam (Telugu), he doesnt know anything (what a dumbass)....etc. And guess what, I think there's even a name - Blessy. Thank your stars it isn't yours;-) Kiwi
perhaps it is a call for forgiveness for the rude statement before of after the use of 'Bless'!
I know someone who says 'Bless his lil' socks' and I dont quite know how to react..so I let it pass..I think its only slightly more annoying than being called 'duck'...which is a common term in the Midlands and up north.
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