That’s not an insult as the internet has decided. It can be used sarcastically, but in my experience as a southerner it is more often a compliment for doing something nice.
Context is king. Yes, anything can be said sarcastically. But when a child shares their candy with another child and 7 people are like “Aww bless his heart!!” It’s not fucking code. The fact that it’s usually used as a compliment is exactly what makes it so cutting as a sarcastic insult.
That’s why it’s so insidious. When used correctly you can throw people off because they have to question, “is this person grateful or do they hate my guts?”
“Bless (his/her/their/your) heart”
That’s not an insult as the internet has decided. It can be used sarcastically, but in my experience as a southerner it is more often a compliment for doing something nice.
You had a different childhood than mine. It was code for “they’re a moron”.
Context is king. Yes, anything can be said sarcastically. But when a child shares their candy with another child and 7 people are like “Aww bless his heart!!” It’s not fucking code. The fact that it’s usually used as a compliment is exactly what makes it so cutting as a sarcastic insult.
It’s used both ways, it’s just context dependent.
Same here. “Bless your heart” usually means thank you
That’s why it’s so insidious. When used correctly you can throw people off because they have to question, “is this person grateful or do they hate my guts?”