From Cambridge Dictionaries Online:
a sight for sore eyes
informal
a way of saying that you are very pleased to see someone or that you think someone is very attractive:
“You’re a sight for sore eyes!”
Translations of “a sight for sore eyes”
in Chinese (Traditional) 樂於看到的人, 極有吸引力的人…
(Definition of a sight for sore eyes from the Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)
From Urban Dictionary:
sight for sore eyes
A sight for sore eyes translates into “the sight of you makes my eyes all better”, and means that you like looking at that sight.
“Woah, that babe over there is a sight for sore eyes.”
by Samantha Esposito March 31, 2007
From The Free Dictionary:
sight for sore eyes
Fig. a welcome sight. “Oh, am I glad to see you here! You’re a sight for sore eyes.” “I’m sure hungry. This meal is a sight for sore eyes.”
See also: eye, sight, sore
From phrases.org.uk:
A sight for sore eyes
A welcome sight; someone or something you are glad to see.
Origin
This phrase was first recorded by Jonathan Swift, in A complete collection of genteel and ingenious conversation, 1738:
“The Sight of you is good for sore Eyes.”
The title of the work suggests that it was in use prior to his writing it down. The currently used version of the phrase was first recorded by William Hazlitt, in New Monthly Magazine, 1826:
“Garrick’s name was proposed on condition he should act in tragedy and comedy… What a sight for sore eyes that would be!”
That’s all pretty straightforward. The rise of the World Wide Web has given this phrase a new lease of life. ‘Sight’, ‘site’ and ‘cite’ form one of the small number of three-word homophone groups, that is, words that sound the same but are spelled differently. Another three-word example is ‘you’, ‘yew’ and ‘ewe’.
A quick scan of the Web courtesy of Google (Feb 2012) shows these hits:
“sight for sore eyes” – 1,550,000
“site for sore eyes” – 681,000
“cite for sore eyes” – 88,700Top of the list for the latter two are web sites selling optical supplies and literary citations respectively, so they have some excuse. Many of the others are just mis-spellings.
My eyes tell me that I’ve cited enough definitions of “Sight for Sore Eyes” from other sites. I shall now cite my own swift definition, in this here site:
Sights for sore eyes
Images that gladden the heart, mind, and soul, particularly precious after experiences of pain, illness, or other negative experiences.
Yesterday, after I published this flu-ish post, my fever went up and my eyes, muscles, appetite, and mind felt sore. Very sore.
Throughout the last 24 hours, encouraging comments here at WordPress (and other sites, like Facebook) have been sights for my sore eyes.
I shall now cite three recently seen sights for sore eyes, from this Boston USA site:
To celebrate my being “normal” (at least temporarily), here are some sounds for sore ears:
(Mozart’s “The Magic Flute Overture” with James Levine and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra is a sight for sore eyes and a sound for sore ears here at this YouTube site.)
To conclude these sights for sore eyes, many thanks to all the sites I cited above, to Mozart and other creators of sounds for sore ears, and to all those who have given me sights for sore eyes — including you (of course!) for seeing this site, today.
Your post is always a sight for my sore eyes.
Glad you’re better. And I like your definition the best. Any sight for sore eyes has to include the soul.
I hope you know, Emilie, that your soulful comments are always a welcome sight for these eyes (sore or not).
You’re very witty. Your posts make me smile. Hope you aren’t feeling ‘flu-ish’ much ‘longer-ish!’
My eyes are smiling now, Kate. Many thanks!
98.6 is a sight for sore eyes. I hope you’re on the mend, Ann. Looks like the cat has his eyes on you. (Or your soup?)
Oscar doesn’t like soup, Maureen. I guess he likes me! And I like you and this comment.
Glad you’re feeling better Ann, your words confirming that were a sight for sore eyes! ❤
Diana xo
As always, Diana, you are a sight for sore eyes.
Good news. I guess you didn’t that chicken soup after all.
I followed your advice for the chicken soup, Carol, which was a sight for my sore eyes.
I’m glad the temp is down, inside you — I’m hoping the temp outside is going up and melting all the snow!
Your words and photos are always a sight for sore eyes, and your music suggestions sounds for sore ears! 🙂
More snow on the way tomorrow, Louise. And the temp outside is too cold, for me.
Thank you for your healing words, as always.
I think your post is the sight for sore mind 🙂
I think your comment is the same, for me!
Very clever!
What a sight for sore eyes you are, Jennifer! Many thanks.
LOL!
I don’t, I confess, always listen to your musical clips. But I leapt into this my ears and eyes made very well by the music and Levine’s happy conversations with his orchestra – and Hockney visuals for extras.
I leapt into your comment, Hilary, and felt much better, too!
Ann, I hope you are feeling better now. I am listening to the music clip you left for us and I LOVE it. My family lately for me, whom I have not seen since 2009, were sights for sore eyes. Tears spring to these very eyes between the music and the memory of what my sore eyes did see. I really thank you for coming by Petals today. I Hope my waterfalls somehow helped heal your soreness … perhaps you fell into the “blue”? Great post! It saddens me that I am not here more often, my friend. So many now reach out to me … if you saw the notifications I answer some days, you would end up with sore eyes. (smile) I do. Stay well, BE Blessed, and know you are truly special to me. Love, and (((HUGS))) Amy
Your blue waterfalls helped me feel less blue, Amy! As always, you and your beautiful images are a sight for sore eyes.
And you just put *tears* in my eyes. Much Love to you, Ann!
This post is a sight for sore eyes. 👀. It’s a prayer answered to see your temp down and your spirits up. 🙂
My eyes are less sore and my spirits are higher after seeing this comment!
For my great friend Ann’s site at 98.6:
Per normal, you leave great words and music, Mark!
Thank you, my talented and recovering friend.
樂於看到的人, 極有吸引力的人…that is great, and a great sight to see no fever and also to have a little Mozart this morning. Cheers to you!
Cheers back at you, Randall. My eyes are a lot less sore now that I see you!
Conjuctivitus.com – a site for sore eyes haha. Get well soon 🙂
Hee hee hee, Alex. Laughter is the best medicine, so thank you!
I wonder do blind people say someone is a sight for sore eyes……………
I wonder, Joanne …..
Glad you’re on the mend, Ann. Enjoy this snow!
Lori, Donna & Diablo: You are all sights for sore eyes! Thank you for your positive spin on snow and for this visit to my blog.
Your definition is the best (in my opinion anyway!).
Your opinion is a sight for these sore eyes, Kellie!
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So glad your temp is being itself again. You are a sight for sore eyes Ann! How is Penny’s eye by the way?….
Val! I hope this doesn’t make you or your eyes too sore. I actually have not seen hide nor hair of Penny, since I got sick. I fear the worst but hope for the best.
She’s a survivor 🙂
No matter where she is!
Yep!
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