I had the perhaps naive impression that that's why we
"bless" people who sneeze, helping them to exsufflate
that inner demon.
MG
--- "Christopher M. Mislow" <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
> == From John Hall <[log in to unmask]> ==
> >> Blowing out or away as an exorcism or in token of
> renunciation of the
> devil
> >> New Oxford Shorter English Dictionary 1993
> >>
> >> "Christopher M. Mislow" <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
> >> "Exsufflating"? This is a new term to me (and to
> my supposedly
> unabridged
> >> Random House dictionary). What, praytell, does
> it -- and the action of
> >> exsufflating idols -- denote?
>
> Please forgive the admittedly off-topic speculation,
> but perhaps this
> practice is the origin of (or kindred to) that of
> "whistling in the
> graveyard" to ward off evil spirits.
>
> --Christopher
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