Oh my Oma...

[KimW]

Oma just got a fab haircut. I teased saying that perhaps I should drive the 700 miles to have her stylist cut my hair. Excerpt from her reply:
[Lady at church who I also know] always said that she would go there, but I am sure that she never did or her hair style would have improved.
Oh that Oma who I love. Understand, she likes the lady she speaks of, but to Oma it is just a simple fact that the lady's hair style needs improvement.

 

[artemis]

That sounds like something my Phoofie would have said. Does Oma also say "God bless it!" as if she meant the opposite?

 

[Mobjack Bay]

When I first moved to Virginia from NY many years ago, I quickly learned that “Bless your heart” means you said something ridiculous, terribly naive, or just plain stupid. It could progress to “I don’t mean to be unkind, but...” at which point you better be pivoting the conversation. I was accustomed to your Oma’s more direct style!

 

[KimW]

That sounds like something my Phoofie would have said. Does Oma also say "God bless it!" as if she meant the opposite?

She doesn't, but she will say to people, "Good for you." or "Ohhhhhh?", and then when you get in the car she'll say to you,"Did you hear them? That was one of the dumbest things I've ever heard."

 

[KimW]

When I first moved to Virginia from NY many years ago, I quickly learned that “Bless your heart” means you said something ridiculous, terribly naive, or just plain stupid. It could progress to “I don’t mean to be unkind, but...” at which point you better be pivoting the conversation. I was accustomed to your Oma’s more direct style!

Me too! Even though I was raised in Oklahoma where, "Bless your heart" is bantered around quite a bit. My Mom and Dad and Oma didn't/don't use it, but everyone else I can think of sure did. It depended on the person saying it, but YES it really means, "Bless your heart - you're so dumb" and is a way of keeping in with the "if you can't say something nice, don't say it at all"...even though it's really not. Now, if Grandma says it to you, then it still means "you're so dumb" but in a loving and sympathetic grandmotherly way...if that makes sense...LOL

 

[KimW]

When I first moved to Virginia from NY many years ago, I quickly learned that “Bless your heart” means you said something ridiculous, terribly naive, or just plain stupid. It could progress to “I don’t mean to be unkind, but...” at which point you better be pivoting the conversation. I was accustomed to your Oma’s more direct style!

I joined the USAF at the old age of 22. By that age I was past the fog-brain of puberty, able to quickly formulate answers to questions, but still naive on the finer points of civilized conversation. My matter of fact way of speaking caused more than two moments of unintended hilarity, and nearly saw me washed out to repeat Basic. Thankfully our TI liked me for some reason, so she kept me off the chopping blocks. Here's my favorite - remember these are grumpy, sullen, temperamental and aloof TIs with facial expressions to match:
The scene - some down time (free to talk and move about within a small area, and at parade rest when still) while the guidons practiced.
TI: "You! Where is Tavera?!"
Some other numbskull: "I don't know, Ma'am"
TI: "What do you mean you don't know?! I didn't ask you what you don't know <blah, blah, blah>"
The TI plays around with two more recruits, and then gets to me.
TI: "You! Where is Tavera?!"
Me: "She's taking a crap, Ma'am" Forgive the crassness, but that's where she was and that's why she was gone for so long...soooooo
All the other TIs and most of the recruits busted out into uproarious laughter.
TI: Goes bug-eyed, takes some quick steps towards me and spews things I don't recall - just those crazy eyes and my thought of "Meds".
Thankfully my TI, who was senior, had come on the scene and said: "Well, you asked the question. Did you not want the answer?"
It took me days to figure out what I'd done wrong....