Quote question!?

Question

"your a sight for sore eyes"

what does that mean?

Answer 1

First off, the quote reads: "You're a sight for sore eyes." Sorry, but I'm a linguist, and spelling counts.

On to your question. This expression may have one or more meanigns, depending upon the situation.

In situation (A), the person you are looking at and talking to is attractive, so you are saying this as a way of telling him/her you like to look at him/her. It's another way of saying "You are pretty/handsome." but you aren't actually using those words, so it's somewhat safer. You can flirt a bit without risking having your feelings hurt if the person doesn't respond in a way you like/want him/her to.

In situation (B), the person has arrived to a scene where you are in need of help. So, a firefighter breaks down a door and the man trapped in the burning room says this. It's another way of saying, "You've saved me from certain doom." or "You've just made my life easier."

If you want to take the expression apart, you're looking at an idiom that derives it's meaning from a common condition these days (even though the expression is very old). People who stare at computer screens often experience eye fatigue. Even just daily activity away from computers can result in sore eyes. You know the feeling when your eyes feel tired, and no matter how much you rub them, they just hurt. Well, this expression is saying that the person being looked at and spoken to is providing relief from pain or suffering of some kind.

Answer 2

It means you look good.

Answer 3

Saying "you're a sight for sore eyes" suggests that the person to whom you are speaking is a welcome sight.  "sore eyes" can be meant either literally or figuratively -- literally if your eyes are strained or you've been crying, figuratively if you've just had a tough day and seeing the person makes you feel better.