# Sight for sore eyes.  where does that phrase come from?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sight-for-sore-eyes-where-does-that-phrase-come-from/116967>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 2, 2002, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sight-for-sore-eyes-where-does-that-phrase-come-from/116967 "2002-07-02T03:02:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2002, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sight-for-sore-eyes-where-does-that-phrase-come-from/116967/1 "2002-07-02T03:02:29Z")

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I was just watching a preview of Attack of the Clones.

On seeing Natalie Portman wearing that skintight white suit I was inspired to say “ooh she’s a sight for sore eyes!”

Then I started to wonder where the phrase comes from. Hence this post.  
So where does it come from?

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**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2002, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sight-for-sore-eyes-where-does-that-phrase-come-from/116967/2 "2002-07-02T07:18:37Z")

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If your eyes are sore, then you don’t want to strain them - a good looking person is pleasent to look at and therefore not a strain on the eyes (the visual equivalent of easy listening)…

Just a WAG

Grim