English
Etymology
The earliest attributable use was by Lady Newdigate in a letter written in 1789 (and published in Newdigate-Newdegate Cheverels in 1898)[1]: Many happy returns of ye day to us my Dr Love.
Pronunciation
Noun
many happy returns
- (idiomatic) A greeting, usually for birthdays, in reference to the passing year; Happy birthday!
Translations
Many happy returns!
- Finnish: paljon onnea
- Georgian: მრავალს დაესწარი (mravals daesc̣ari) (informally to one person), მრავალს დაესწარით (mravals daesc̣arit) (to more than one person or formally to one person)
- Greek: χρόνια πολλά (el) m pl (chrónia pollá)
- Hebrew: עַד מְאָה וְעֵשְׂרִים (he) ('ad meá v'esrím)
- Hungarian: Isten éltessen (sokáig)! (informal; the formal variant is with éltesse)
- Latvian: daudz baltu dieniņu
- Manx: laa ruggyree sonney dhyt
- Polish: sto lat (pl)
- Romanian: mulți ani înainte
- Russian: долгих лет жизни (dolgix let žizni)
- Scottish Gaelic: mòran dhiubh
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References