I am in Augusta, GA, right now, and the speakers here are southerners. One lady today was talking about her mother-in-law (hard to put up with, etc.), and at the end she said, "Bless her heart!" Then she told us that southerners can say anything negative about somebody as long as they end it with "Bless his/her heart!" Is that true? Do other cultures have similar phrases that neutralize negative comments? I can't think of any that I use, but maybe I'm just not thinking.

The word allegedly can save you from litigation.

It is OK to name a gay*, child-molesting or corrupt person in society, as long as you put the word allegedly at the end of the sentence.

For example: the queen is a lizard, allegedly.


*Not that there is anything wrong with this.

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Do other cultures have similar phrases that neutralize negative comments?

"I'm just sayin'", as in "I'm not calling you fat. I'm just sayin', you look kinda fat". East Coast urban USA.

Some people (including me, sometimes!) neutralize comments by adding, ". . .but that's just me," meaning "that's just my opinion."

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*Not that there is anything wrong with this.

I didn't know that Seinfeld crossed the pond!

Yes, those are very good examples! All of those I have heard used exactly that way.

I really think the media get away with "allegedly" way too often. They can discuss the purported guilt of someone; show pictures that implicate him/her; expound on a family history of abuse, linking that to why she/he probably murdered the person; etc. Allegedly of course!

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Originally posted by Kalleh:

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*Not that there is anything wrong with this.

I didn't know that Seinfeld crossed the pond!

Oooh Explain

Graham, when talking about people being gay, Jerry would always say, "Not that there's anything wrong with that!" I thought you were alluding to that comment.

Reviving a thread

I am in Jackson, Mississippi, and again have been enamored by the southerners, and their use of language, their accents, and their ability to have fun laughing at themselves.

Again, they talked about saying, "Bless her heart" and then insulting someone. Another way to start an insult is to say, "Poor thing," only the way they say "poor" is just priceless.

If someone asks them if their cousin is pretty, they'll say, "She's very nice...and boy can she cook!" It all has to do with their politeness. I have never been called "ma'am" so much in my life.

They also laugh at their country music. Apparently there is a new CD out about having a picnic and then picking off the ticks!

Sometimes I feel like I am entering another country when I visit the south, and I very much like that country!