" In richness, good sense and convenience, no other of the living languages may be put beside English."  

                               Jacob Grimm.

• Why do we say " bless you" when someone sneezes?

          It has been traditional for hundreds of years to say " God Bless You" to anyone who sneezed. This is because it was originally believed that the force of a sneeze forced the soul from the body and the heart momentarily stopped beating. Anybody who was nearby when they heard  sneeze would try to help by using these words and in this way help the soul find its way back.  The practice of saying "Bless You" after somebody has sneezed is believed to originate from Pope Gregory the Great in the 6th century who recommended its use after an outbreak of plague in Rome and called for prayers as protection against infection.

• Why do people say "touch wood"? 

          The expression " to touch wood" comes from the practice of touching relics of the body or possessions of holy people in times of personal distress to ask for blessing  and relief. A large number of those relics were said to be from the cross of Jesus Christ. In fact, touching wood was an ancient superstition believed to avert bad luck. Certain trees such as oak or willow were sacred and so were believed to have strong protective powers. The actual type of wood has now become unimportant and any wood is touched, and often, in jest, even one's own head.

         This superstitions has been changed in meaning through centuries. Today we say "touch wood",  " knock on wood" or " keep your fingers crossed" to avoid misfortunes and hope for good luck and prosperity.

•   Why do we say " dressed to the nines"?

       This expression is said to have come from a term going back many hundred of years. Dressed to the eyes ( meaning pleasing to the eye) was written in Old English as "to then eyne". It is easy to see how this has become now " to the nines". It's also connected with the price of admission to entertainment places of the past. The most expensive seats often cost nine pence, and were referred to as the " nines". To be dressed to the nines meant that one was beautifully dressed for the best seats in the house.