bless

The next time someone sneezes, just make sure that you have a vial of animal blood in your pocket so that you can sprinkle it on them. Why, you may ask? Simple: bless is from the Old English bloedsian, which referred to the act of sanctifying something by marking it with sacrificial blood (the modern French blesser, “wound” comes from the same root word in Frankish). When Christianity arrived in England, the meaning was transferred to the Christian idea of benediction, literally "speaking well". The idea of saying "bless you" comes from the belief that the devil could enter your body at the moment you sneezed. The jury's still out on the question of whether flinging copious quantities of animal gore over someone will block Satan's entry into their body (if anybody still believes it anyway). So, next time someone says to you "Ah, bless!" you have complete licence to do a total "Carrie" on them. See you down the pig farm!