- English translation
He gets neither God's blessing nor His peace.
- Literal wording
Neither did God bless him, nor grant him peace.
- Meaning and lesson
The expression marks someone as a nobody: a person so insignificant that no one bothers to grant them the customary good wishes. It conveys that the person draws no attention, carries no weight, and is simply disregarded by those around them.
Its force comes from taking a pious formula of blessing and peace, best known from the formula honoring the Prophet, and denying both parts with a doubled 'neither... nor.' Withholding even this routine blessing makes the person seem beneath notice. Because it negates a devotional formula, some listeners may find it irreverent or offensive.
- When it is used
Said of a person who counts for nothing in the speaker's eyes, someone ignored, overlooked, or not worth a second thought. It belittles rather than neutrally describes. Suited only to informal talk where open dismissiveness is acceptable; it is not appropriate in respectful or formal exchanges.
- Register
- colloquial
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: He gets neither God's blessing nor His peace.