John McGiver
Walter Burnley
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Mar 18, 2022 · The meaning of (MANY) HAPPY RETURNS is —used for wishing someone a happy birthday and to express the hope that he or she will live to celebrate many more birthdays in the future.
What's the meaning of the phrase 'Many happy returns'? Have many more happy days, especially birthdays. What's the origin of the phrase 'Many happy returns'? Since the 18th century this has been used as a salutation to offer the hope that a happy day being marked would recur many more times.
The idiom “many happy returns” is often used as a birthday greeting or wish for someone’s continued happiness and success. However, there are several mistakes that people make when using this idiom.
When it is someone's birthday, people sometimes say ' Many happy returns ' to them as a way of greeting them. [ formulae ] See full dictionary entry for return
- What Does “Many Happy Returns of The Day” Mean?
- Is It Correct to Say “Many Happy Returns of The Day”?
- How Do I Use “Many Happy Returns”?
- Where Does “Many Happy Returns” Come from?
“Many happy returns of the day” means that we want to wish that someone’s birthday (the day) returns many times over the coming years. It’s another way of saying “we hope you live for a long time” and is a nice way to celebrate the birthday of someone you like. You might also come across a few variations of the phrase. Either way, the idea is alway...
When wishing someone a happy birthday, you may want to make sure you use grammatically correct phrases. Of course, if the person you’re speaking to is your friend, chances are they won’t call you up on your incorrect phrasing, even if that was the case. Still, it’s good to know what you’re talking about! “Many happy returns of the day” is correct t...
Let’s go through some examples of when we might use “many happy returns” in the case of a birthday. Interestingly enough, even though we use the phrase “the day” in the saying, the overall phrase always applies to birthdays and no other days. 1. Hey, it’s great to see you! Many happy returns of your big day! 2. Happy Birthday and many happy returns...
Now let’s take a brief look at where “many happy returns” comes from and why it’s such a popular phrase for birthdays. Also, why do we say “many, many happy returns of the day?” Isn’t one “many” enough? We can say “many, many happy returns of the day” to stress the word “many” in this case. It implies that we’re hoping there are plenty more birthda...
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Therefore "many happy returns of the day" would be a wishing a person a rewarding day, full of happiness. The first explanation implies we are wishing that their birthday will return many more times - in other words, "May you live long".
Happy birthday and many more of them, as in I came by to wish you many happy returns . This expression was first recorded in a letter of 1779 where the writer meant “Happy New Year,” but the present meaning has persisted since the second half of the 1800s. Discover More.
