phrases through the ages
by Have you ever wondered where certain words or phrases come from? Why do people get eighty-sixed when they are thrown out of some place? You can find out why from looking for the origin of the word or phrase. That's just one to look for, but there are many more to learn about, it's really quite interesting. I've looked up some websites that deal with word and phrase origins for all of you to explore. Just so you know, I have not looked at all of these, some might not be all that great.
plateaupress.com
rootsweb.com
wordorigins.org
aol member page on phrases
quinion.com
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28 Comments
oh can't wait to take a look at this!
i wonder if 'god bless you' is in there. this lady at the pizzaria got really upset that i didn't say it after she sneezed.
nothin'...rrrrr
we studied things like this in my senior lit class.
there are a number of reasons people began to use this saying:
1. they believed that during a sneeze, your spirit temporarily left your body. "God bless you" was a bidding of farewell in hopes that your spirit would return just as quickly as it left.
2. your heart temporarily stops beating (it does-for a millisecond) while you sneeze so "God blessed you" by restarting it
3. during the black plague people felt a sneeze marked you as being the next to go-in this case, "God bless you" was literally said as a blessing
I've also read that people believed when you sneezed it was because your body was getting rid of a bad spirit/demon therefore you were blessed by having it gone.
i heard that when you sneezed you were getting rid of little microbes caught with in your lungs and nasal passages and "god bless you" was just a stupid saying.
well obviously you don't know anything.
obviously you are a typical half puerto rican half italian american.
The phrase "oops-a-daisy," came from the days of the black plague, as well, I believe. I think it originated because too many people were dying, and dying too quickly, that they didn't have time to bury them... so they would just simply plant a daisy next to the body, each time someone died. So, when you were walking around, you would obviously have to be careful you didn't step on a body. But, it would be hard to avoid it. Easier said than done. If you caught yourself just before you were about to step on a body, you would say "oops-a-daisy."
kewl...is that really true?
From what I've heard. Haven't researched it myself, tho.
That's so sick in a really interesting way
Or, so interesting in a really sick way.
did you just say oops-a-daisy?
no i didn't say whoops-a-daisy, i mean who says that anymore but..little schoolgirls.......
my mom said that when worldly people sneeze around her, to alleviate the weirdness she will say something like, oh my, do you have a cold? (or allergies). Something like that-it helps draw attention away from the fact that you didn't say bless you.
you could always say: "according to your pagan beliefs, I hope your non-existent immortal soul goes back inside your body". I mean, that's what I do
yea at work i just say " WHoa you alright pops" and i started a trend. everytime i hear a sneeze i hear " you alright " and every giggles. like it's funny or something.
whoa, you all right, pops?? I think I will start using that at work. But like, cause I have allergies (SHUT UP KELLY!) i sneeze more than everyone else. so can i say it to myself??
I either say "Oh don't die" or "Oh you're head blew up"
haha... i was so not gonna say anything dan
i beg to differ. My bro sneezes more than any two men alive and when he starts he don't stop. He really hates it when you say, STOP SNEEZING after every sneeze...
hahaha... i love it dean. i'm gonna do that from now on
i'm intrigued by etymology, myself
i was very happy to learn the meaning of "son of a gun" because when i was really little and my grandma used to say that, i remember wondering how guns could have children.