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

Looking at the sun always causes one to sneeze.  I'd like a  physiological 
explanation of this, please.
 
Julie Krueger
still waiting after 40 years for someone to explain why running hard causes  
a pain in the side.
========Original  Message========     Subj: [lit-ideas] Re: "Bless You" (Was: 
Sneeze)  Date: 7/30/2004 12:48:06 AM Central Daylight Time  From: 
_atlas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx (mailto:atlas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx)   To: 
_lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
(mailto:lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx)   Sent on:    
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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