What is the meaning of the phrase ‘No hard feelings’?
No unresolved strong negative emotions/issues.
What is the origin of the phrase ‘No hard feelings’?
My research has concluded that the earliest recorded evidence for the term ‘Hard feeling’ dates back to the early 1800s, in the American publication Connecticut Evangelical Magazine.
It is believed that initially, the phrase ’No hard feelings’ was a term used in a literal sense, in the context of wishing someone no pain after a confrontation or dispute has come to an end.
Following the decline in the use of physical confrontation to solve disputes, particularly around the end of corporal punishments in the 1900s, the meaning of the phrase expanded. From this point, the phrase was considered a wish to the perceiving on the receiving end of an unpleasant confrontation that they are not left with any anger or upset. It became a way of saying that they wish to cause no offence through their actions. And that what took place was done in good spirits with no intention to cause any real harm emotionally, including the likes of bitterness, frustration or resentment. It’s a way for someone to say they have no real ill-will against their opponent.
While the phrase is frequently used in sports and competition contexts, it is not limited to this, and can also be frequently heard in everyday conversation, such as among friends and colleagues.
The phrase can also be used by the person or group on the receiving end of an action or mishap to show that the person accepts what has happened, and understands that whatever it was that happened was done with no real ill-will or bad intentions.
What are some notable uses of the phrase ‘No hard feelings’?
In the world of literature, you can find the phrase ‘No hard feelings’ used in ‘Catch 22’ by Joseph Heller published in 1961, to signify forgiveness and wanting to move past conflicts.
More recently, the phrase has also appeared in the bestselling blockbuster series by J.K. Rowling in her novel ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, published in 2000, in various contexts.
There is also a song called ‘No Hard Feelings’ released by The Avett Brothers in 2016. The phrase also crops up in films, for instance in The Godfather Part III, in 1990, and in the US TV series ‘Friends’, and ‘Seinfeld’.
