What are the Origins of the Phrase “a Sight for Sore Eyes”?
The idiom “a sight for sore eyes,” meaning a welcome and pleasant event, appears to date back to at least the 1700s, although it may have been used earlier. As is often the case with well known idioms, the phrase has been borrowed by industry, as a casual survey of optometry offices will reveal. Many people continue to say that something is a sight for sore eyes colloquially, although they may be unaware of the roots of the phrase.
