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Why do we say "Kazoontight" when someone sneezes? (and I don't mean "to be polite)

Question #57071. Asked by kaylofgorons.

Related Trivia Topics: Vocabulary  
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MaggieG
Answer has 5 votes
Currently Best Answer
MaggieG avatar

Answer has 5 votes.

Currently voted the best answer.
It comes from the German expression 'Gesundheit', meaning good health, which they say when someone sneezes.

May 06 2005, 2:02 PM
kaylofgorons
Answer has 3 votes
kaylofgorons
20 year member
303 replies

Answer has 3 votes.
Yes, I figured it was spelled wrong; but because I didn't know how to spell it, I couldn't find it in Mr. Webster's big book of words.

I did think it sounded a little German. Thanks!

May 06 2005, 5:38 PM
Arpeggionist
Answer has 2 votes
Arpeggionist
21 year member
2173 replies

Answer has 2 votes.
One of the many responses to a sneeze. My grandmother would always say the long version: "Zu gesund, zu leben, zu lange jahren" - "to health, to life, to many long years." Many cultures have some superstitions involving sneezes, in Arabic-speaking lands people believe sneezing scares away demons and bad omens. In ancient European cultures people believed that there was a danger of one losing a piece of his spirit with every sneeze. So it was important to wish them health or to say some variation of "God bless you" or some other statement. The customs, if not the superstitions, have remained.

May 09 2005, 3:55 PM
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