one c a day for all c of may
"You're a sight for sore eyes."
This particular expression/cliche has caused quite a bit of confusion/frustration in our marriage lately. To remain anonymous, one of us (Person A) believes that this expression is complementary. To translate - You are a beautiful and welcomed sight for my somewhat exhausted eyes.
The other of us (Person B) believes that this expression is condemnatory. To translate - You are a terrible sight, so much so that you are making my eyes sore.
Which is it? We have been doing a poll amongst our friends and even the poll remains divided. Some say - "Oh this is extremely complementary. You would say this if you were away at war and when you came back and saw your beautiful bride waiting for you - you would say - You're a sight for sore eyes." Others have disagreed. They've said - "Only when someone emerges from a deep sleep with unkempt hair, bed wrinkles pressed into their face, and crusty drool on their shirt would you say - Ew, gross - you're a sight for sore eyes."
Which is it? Your thoughts?
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2 comments:
I've always have heard it as a compliment and have always thought of it as so. However now that this questioning has been put into light, I wonder.
Either way, at the birth of this saying, someone either got offended when they shouldn't or was naively flattered. Thus forming the two camps.
As to which I'm going to hold to, I'd say it's saying that you are so beautiful that you can sooth sore eyes. And that's what sore eyes need, soothing.
It's a compliment. I've always heard it that way. But I wasn't willing to believe only my own experience, after all, I'm a man of science.
So I consulted several online idiom dictionaries which listed it as "a welcome sight." (Science)
Case closed. Congrats on graduating. To see you in that cap and gown was a sight for sore eyes, by the way.
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