Date: Wed, 22 Oct 1997 17:15:14 PDT

From: Amy Schroeder ashroede[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]COUNSEL.COM

Subject: Re: Bless You



My sixth grade teacher, rest her soul, insisted that we say God Bless You,

because, in her opinion, when you sneezed your spirit literally left your

body. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there some ancient Greek source

for this, something along the lines of one's spirit inhabiting the breath?

----------



I have a horrible feeling that "puppy pie" is the same as Johanna's "cow

pie,"

just from a different source, and that the bargee was upset to be called

the

equivalent of a "shit eater," as well he might be!



And while I'm at it, doesn't saying "Bless you" when someone sneezes go

back

to

the Black Death and sneezing as a symptom of plague? Remember that lovely

bit

of dialogue from _The Lady's Not for Burning_, said by the priest (abbot,

friar

whoever) just as he exits, "God bless you in case you sneeze." "Thank

you. I

may." Talk about preventive medicine! (Actually, this relationship just

dawned on me after I'd been talking to a class about the nursery rhyme

"Ring

Around a-Rosy" and its imitation of the plague-stricken.)