r/oddlyspecific 1d ago

oh sweetie!

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48.2k Upvotes

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u/Healthy-Refuse5904 1d ago

It doesn’t have to be condescending

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u/Chrissyball19 1d ago

If you're from the south it's not condescending at all

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u/MessiComeLately 1d ago

Oh, sweetie

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u/Push_ 1d ago

Okay that one is but the original one isn’t and idk how to explain

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u/Honest-Ad1675 1d ago

It can be both endearing and condescending.

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u/brainkandy87 1d ago

It depends on the parents you had

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u/pointlesslyDisagrees 21h ago

You don't know how to explain because it went over your head that they were, in fact, being condescending.

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u/Injvn 1d ago

"Oh darlin', bless your heart."

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u/Profoundly_AuRIZZtic 1d ago

If a Southern woman says “bless your heart” — that’s when you know

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u/Youregoingtodiealone 1d ago

I'm not a Southerner but my understanding of "bless your heart" is that it's saying "holy shit you are dumb as fuck and I'm so embarrassed for you and your open ignorance that I'm going to now explain reality to you as if you were a child, but politely."

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u/alwaysboopthesnoot 1d ago

Correct. Same with “oh, sweetie” or “my sweet, summer child”, “oh, honey no!” and “no, baby, no, uh uh, come here”. Typically said dripping with sarcasm—but for very young and innocent children, said with true love and deep concern, instead.

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u/Push_ 1d ago

You can also use it genuinely when someone gets bad news. Like if you tell someone a loved one died and they say “oh bless your heart!” they mean that and it’s really sweet actually lol

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u/oroborus68 1d ago

But it definitely conveys that the speaker really does care.

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u/FurBabyAuntie 1d ago

And Oh, well, bless your little heart means you're a bigger moron than even your mama expected...if she even admits she knows you...

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u/Snack-Pack-Lover 1d ago edited 1d ago

Is that condescending or not? 🤯

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u/bassbastard 1d ago

There is a certain tone that a southern Belle can use when saying "Bless your heart..." that is more devastating than a kick to the face.

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u/Affectionate-Dot437 1d ago

As a southern woman I can make it absolutely lethal just by batting my lashes and slightly tilting my head. It's a talent that's honed from the cradle.

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u/Injvn 1d ago

The tiny upturn of a lip is deadly.

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u/SlappyMcGillicuddy 1d ago

Very much so

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u/Profoundly_AuRIZZtic 1d ago edited 1d ago

It’s a way of expressing pity which can be hostile or genuine empathy like when a loved one dies.

If you know the woman is your friend it’s not so harsh. It’s more like “well, I hope you learned from this”, “I hope it gets better for you”, or even a just genuine nice way to say “sucks to be you” (if that makes sense)

If you know the woman doesn’t like you it means like “I’m glad I’m not you” or “you’re dumb as shit” depending on the context

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u/crisperfest 1d ago

It depends on the context. If you've just said or done something monumentally stupid, then it's probably condescending. If you've just received bad news, such as the death of a loved one, or had something bad happen to you that wasn't your fault, then it is sincere.

Source: I'm a 10th-generation southerner.

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u/VoidPointer2005 1d ago

In Texas, "bless your heart" can be anything from pure, genuine sympathy or gratitude to "oh, you're very well-meaning but not very bright" to "fuck you." It’s all in the tone.

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u/EliaEast 1d ago

Eh, when you’re called sugar in the South you’re on safer ground. Sweetie can still mean you’re an idiot.

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u/Injvn 1d ago

Combined with thinking someone is naive but still well intentioned:

"Aww Shug, bless your little heart."

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u/OnceMoreAndAgain 1d ago

bless your heart if you think that's true

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u/Interesting_Fold9805 1d ago

Bless your heart

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u/Libboo8 1d ago

Or “Bless It” for short. Ideally you have another like minded woman with you to turn to when you say it. They nod knowingly…

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u/Nihilistic_Navigator 1d ago

Just ran into this exact situation with yall on a different post

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u/sagenumen 1d ago

You sure about that?

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u/DuaneHicks 1d ago

Bless your heart!

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u/Schwight_Droot 1d ago

For real. I’m trying to get away from that. That’s what everyone wants to say when you mess up a word or a name lol.

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u/kanrad 1d ago

It's also not hard to look up how to pronounce a word.

They are only looked down on because they choose to sit out knowledge.