# Survey - "Bully for you" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 24, 2008, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survey-bully-for-you/465083 "2008-09-24T23:54:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survey-bully-for-you/465083/41 "2008-09-26T08:43:35Z")
My first instinct is “good for you” although the opposite meaning “that’s tough” is a strong second. Either way I can imagine it getting misused frequently. USA / NY ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survey-bully-for-you/465083/42 "2008-09-26T09:36:30Z")
Either 1. Congratulations, or (depending how it is said) 2 Good for you but no one cares. Australian. ---
**Author:** ![Silence\_of\_the\_clams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Silence\_of\_the\_clams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silence_of_the_clams)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survey-bully-for-you/465083/43 "2008-09-26T12:35:22Z")
I have no idea, sounds like someone just put Nelson Muntz in front of you :eek: I’m scandinavian by the way. > [@MaxTheVool](#): > > What do you think the phrase “Bully for you” means, both in meaning and in tone, and what is your nationality? > thanks ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survey-bully-for-you/465083/44 "2008-09-26T12:40:53Z")
It means “Well done!”, but I would say it is rarely used nowadays, and is probably said sarcastically more often than genuinely. 23, M, UK. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survey-bully-for-you/465083/45 "2008-09-26T14:27:56Z")
So, **MaxTheVool** , would you care to explain the reason for the OP, and how the results tally with your expectations? ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survey-bully-for-you/465083/46 "2008-09-26T15:16:56Z")
“Good for you” as in “Congratulations for taking that action” and was originally positive but more often now used sarastically in response to someone being overly self-righteous, or someone boasting about something that you just don’t care about. Mid-Atlantic U.S. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survey-bully-for-you/465083/47 "2008-09-26T19:24:57Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > So, **MaxTheVool** , would you care to explain the reason for the OP, and how the results tally with your expectations? I’ve taken to saying it lately more-or-less-seriously, and my girlfriend (the lovely usually-lurking doper **Araminty** ) is absolutley convinced that it can not be used anything other than sarcastically. Enough people have confirmed that it can, in fact, be used as actual congratulations that I feel vindicated, while enough claim that it is used mainly sarcastically that she can probably claim victory as well 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survey-bully-for-you/465083/48 "2008-09-26T19:30:09Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > I’ve taken to saying it lately more-or-less-seriously, and my girlfriend (the lovely usually-lurking doper **Araminty** ) is absolutley convinced that it can not be used anything other than sarcastically. > > Enough people have confirmed that it can, in fact, be used as actual congratulations that I feel vindicated, while enough claim that it is used mainly sarcastically that she can probably claim victory as well 🙂 I have almost never used it and mostly in a joking way, but I never even realized it was considered sarcastic by so many. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survey-bully-for-you/465083/49 "2008-09-26T23:40:26Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > I’ve taken to saying it lately more-or-less-seriously, and my girlfriend (the lovely usually-lurking doper **Araminty** ) is absolutley convinced that it can not be used anything other than sarcastically. > > Enough people have confirmed that it can, in fact, be used as actual congratulations that I feel vindicated, while enough claim that it is used mainly sarcastically that she can probably claim victory as well 🙂 Well, bully for you! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2008, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survey-bully-for-you/465083/50 "2008-09-27T02:08:16Z")
No one has posted this variation yet: Bully for you = BFD. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survey-bully-for-you/465083.md?page=2)