WHAT
THE?
THE
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS YOU NEVER ASKED
What does “R.I.P.” stand for?
The common belief that the conventional tombstone abbreviation
R.I.P. stands for “rest in
peace” isn’t that far removed from the truth. The
initials are short for the Latin requiescat in pace,
which means “may he/she rest in peace.” The abbreviation
is much more prevalent than the full phrase for two reasons:
one is limited space, and the second is cost—engravers
typically charge by the letter.
Why do people say “bless you” when you
sneeze?
This is one of those questions that doesn’t have a straight
answer. There are at least three reasons people used
to say “bless you” or “God bless you”
after someone sneezed. The first: a sneeze was often the first
sign of a cold or other illness, so a blessing from another
was a way of saying “hope it doesn’t get worse mate,
and God bless you if it does.” The second: a sneeze either
(a) blasted your soul out of your nostrils or (b) blasted evil
spirits out of your nostrils. In the first instance, a “bless
you” would act as a ward against the soul escaping; in
the second instance, it acted as a ward against demons re-entering
the body. The third: it was once believed that a sneeze caused
the heart to temporarily stop beating, so a “bless you”
was either a plea for the heart to start again or a congrats
when it did.
Today, we say “bless you” for none of these reasons.
Rather, the phrase has become a perfunctory utterance whose
absence is seen as utterly impolite. To test this theory, simply
try to not say “bless you” the next time a person
sitting next to you lets one loose. After a second or two of
discomfort, you’ll realize you care nothing for the man’s
soul, and just don’t want to be seen as ill-mannered.
It is interesting to note that most cultures have their own
way of saying “bless you.” For the Germans, it is
gesundheit—“[I wish you]
good health.” For the French it is À
tes souhaits—“to your wishes.”
The Spaniards and Japanese say different things depending on
the number of sneezes:
| # |
Spanish |
means |
| 1 |
salud |
health |
| 2 |
salud
y dinero |
money |
| 3 |
salud
y dinero y amor |
love |
| 4 |
alergias |
allergies |
| |
| # |
Japanese |
means |
| 4 |
ichi
homerarete |
once
being praised |
| 2 |
ni
kenasare |
twice
being disparaged |
| 3 |
san
shikarare |
thrice
being scolded |
| 4 |
shi
kaze hiku |
four
times catch a cold |
Both cultures seem to agree that while sneezing once may be
fortuitous, sneezing too many times in a row can be a sign of
bad health.
Sources: snopes.com, netlaputa.ne.jp/~tokyo3/e/sneeze_e.html.
|
 |
TRIVIAL
TIDBIT
Keeping up with this week’s pseudo-theme
of all things Latin, I’ve included here some additional
Latin phrases that are commonly used in speech and writing.
ad
hoc (to this thing) – means “for
this.” An attorney ad hoc
is one appointed for a special purpose, usually to
represent a client in a particular action.
ad hominem (to the person) –
an ad hominem attack seeks
to discredit one’s ideas based on the type of
person one is.
carpe diem (pluck the day) –
commonly translated as “seize the day.”
Enjoyment of the present without concern for the future.
cave canem (beware of dog) –
put it on your fence and astound your neighbors.
deus ex machina (a God from a machine)
– a contrived plot resolution. From old Greek
plays in which a “God” was lowered by
cables upon the stage to save the day.
ipso facto (by the fact itself) –
the sale of your property should ipso
facto end any interest you have in it.
pax vobiscum (peace be with you [all])
– used when speaking to at least two people.
When wishing one person farewell, use pax
tecum.
semper fidelis (always faithful)
– the motto of the U.S. Marine Corps, abbreviated
Semper Fi.
|
|
