Would you like to tell someone that they are one of the best things in your life, or would you like to tell someone with a hint of sarcasm that they have just gone and messed up your whole day? The phrase 'ray of sunshine' is a common English-speaking expression that can be used to say what you mean either way. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this saying.
Meaning
The phrase 'ray of sunshine' can be used to mean that someone is as important to the speaker as the sun. This use of the phrase 'ray of sunshine' is complimentary, and the comparison is meant to be enriching and positive.
The saying 'ray of sunshine' can be used to reference someone and it's not usually used as a means of self-reference.
If someone is said to be 'a ray of sunshine' than this is generally a good thing or event that is being referred to.
However, the saying 'ray of sunshine' can also have a second meaning that is not as positive.
The phrase 'ray of sunshine' can also be used as a sarcastic self-reference or insult for something that is exactly the opposite. When the alternate meaning of this term appears, the context is usually clear from what else is being said.
If something cannot possibly be a ray of sunshine, but the term is used, the sarcastic meaning is the likely one.
'Ray of sunshine' most often refers to one person, although the phrase can be altered to say 'rays of sunshine' instead.
Example
“You're just a real ray of sunshine today. Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed or didn't you have enough coffee?”
“Now that he's dead, I miss him and think that he was the brightest little ray of sunshine the world had ever seen.”
“He needed a little ray of sunshine in his life, and so he had three sons with the gardener. Now he's pretty blessed, but also divorced.”
“If you're going to walk in here and be a little ray of sunshine from the moment someone speaks to you, then maybe you should just head back home.”
Origin
The origin of the phrase 'ray of sunshine' to mean either something that is good and positive, or to sarcastically point out that something is the opposite, can be traced back to around the same time as the root words in the expression.
The word “ray” comes from Old English and French origins, where it appeared as a common sight in the English language around the 14th century.
After the use of the word 'ray'became more common, expressions and media that incorporated the term became more common.
The song 'You Are My Sunshine' was first recorded in August 1939, and is one of the most common known references for the phrase 'sunshine' used as a term of endearment.
Phrases Similar to Ray of Sunshine
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Phrases Opposite to Ray of Sunshine
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What is the Correct Saying?
- [Someone is/is not] a ray of sunshine
Ways People May Say Ray of Sunshine Incorrectly
There are several ways in which the expression 'ray of sunshine' can be used in the wrong way, or its meaning misinterpreted by the rest of the group it is being said to.
The phrase 'ray of sunshine' can mean something good, but can also mean that something is the opposite when it is said with sarcasm and the appropriate context.
The phrase 'rays of sunshine' is accepted when saying the phrase to a group, but 'ray of sunshines' is not.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase Ray of Sunshine
The right way to use the phrase 'ray of sunshine' is to use it to imply that something is positive, or the opposite with a hint of sarcasm.