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Coincidence Posted 12 years ago
Vocabulary

bless you

Hello,
could you explain, please, what it means if we say:
'use bless you'?
In a video about a sneezing girl they seem to say:
'A 12 year old ... could use a few bless yous these days'.


It's the girl who is sneezing and other people say 'bless you' so I can't see the meaning of this sentence.

Could you help, please?
Thank you in advance.
Kind regards.
  

Top answer

"bless you" is traditionally said when someone sneezes, originally in order to ward off disease. "could use a few bless yous" means that she needs, wants or would benefit from people saying "bless you" (not meant absolutely literally, since another person saying "bless you" is obviously of no actual benefit to one's condition). "could use" in this sense is kind of an idiomatic expression: "He stinks.

— GPY

  • "bless you" is traditionally said when someone sneezes, originally in order to ward off disease.
  • "could use a few bless yous" means that she needs, wants or would benefit from people saying "bless you" (not meant absolutely literally, since another person saying "bless you" is obviously of no actual benefit to one's condition).
  • "could use" in this sense is kind of an idiomatic expression: "He stinks.
  • " "I can't do this by myself.
  • "
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3 Answers
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"bless you" is traditionally said when someone sneezes, originally in order to ward off disease. "could use a few bless yous" means that she needs, wants or would benefit from people saying "bless you" (not meant absolutely literally, since another person saying "bless you" is obviously of no actual benefit to one's condition). "could use" in this sense is kind of an idiomatic expression:
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"Bless you" is a shorter version of the full subjunctive form "*** bless you". The reporter seems to be implying, somewhat jokingly, that perhaps if people kept saying "Bless you" to her, she would eventually be freed from her sneezing curse.
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