Many happy returns of the day.

It's said to someone on their birthday and is just an expression of goodwill, nothing more. It's a bit old fashioned.

I think of the Winnie the Pooh books when I see this. If you said it to the average American, he or she wouldn't know what you meant, unless memories of the Winnie the Pooh books were firmly in mind.

GG, is it okay to write 'vividly in mind' or 'vivid in their mind' instead of 'firmly in mind'?

You can, but they don't mean the same thing. I know I read all the Pooh books. I know I read them many times. Bits and pieces of those books are firmly fixed in my memories. But that doesn't make them vivid memories. Some are vivid, yes. Poor Piglet tripping and popping Eyeore's birthday balloon is a rather vivid memory. (Although it was handled with great kindness.)

Hi,

Many happy returns of the day.

If you want to say this, the standard expression is simply Many happy returns!

Best wishes, Clive

Hello,

What is the difference between a bit and piece? Is "Bits and pieces" just a fixed expression?

Thanks

Hi,

What is the difference between a bit and piece? These words can often be interchanged, but there are also differences. Rather than discuss all the meanuings in the dictionary, let me just look briefly at a couple of examples.

A piece of cake This sounds like it was cut from the cake with a knife, with at least some car

Grammar GeekIf you said it to the average American, he or she wouldn't know what you meant

Sounds quite normal and everyday to me (Brit).

When I went to U.S. high school back in the early eighties in middle eastern Indiana, "Many happy returns" was popularly exchanged among people for any celebration --- birthday, wedding anniversary, graduation, etc.

Hiro

Hoping that the anniversary date will come back around (return) many more times (year after year), and that those occasions will be happy ones.

- Clara