[lit-ideas] Re: "Bless You" (Was: Sneeze)

Dear Straight Dope Dude:

Why do we say "nothing to sneeze at?"  Does that mean that you don't have
anything to aim your sneeze at, or does it mean that you're having a hard
time sneezing because there's nothing around to irritate your nasal
passages?  Hence you have "nothing to sneeze at."  I've been told that the
original expession was: "not to be sneezed at".  Is that a prohibition, like
in: "the Queen Mum is not to be sneezed at."  Says who?  That seems rather
politically presumptive to me, but what do I know?  Not the answer, that's
for sure.  And as you well know, the School for Scandal crowd would stuff
snuff up their noses just to cause a sneeze.  Weird, huh?  Except that
sneezing is kind of like a miniature-type orgasm, don't you think?  Boy, oh
boy, were the real thing is so easy, hey?  So maybe "nothing to sneeze at"
is a euphemistic phrase meaning something that I can't write down because it
would be breach of propriety,  suffice it to say, it's something that's
nothing to sneeze at.  For my part, I don't need snuff to sneeze.  Everytime
I come out of a dark place like a movie house into the sunlight I have a
sneezing fit.  I can also almost always just look up at the sun and sneeze.
Good, hearty sneezes, too.  Pizza is good.  Sex is good.  Sneezing is good.
What's with that?  A coincidence or a synchonicity?

Please answer my questions right away.  I get bored waiting.

Your devoted fan,
Mike Geary
Memphis



>
> Why do we say "God bless you" after a sneeze?
> 27-Sep-2001


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