"God Speed"

What does this meeeaaan!? People conclude letters, speeches, conversations, farewells etc. with these two itsy bitsy words and I have no idea where it comes from, or what it is supposed to convey.

Does anyone know why it's said in conclusion, or its origins? I'm always looking to learn something new (every day, as "they" say).

Help me learn!!! :D

Godspeed, as a word, is a wish for a prosperousjourney, success, and good fortune (from Middle English God speed you, meaning "May God help you prosper").

--Wikipedia

The origins are Biblical (King James version), and it dates from a time when "speed" meant "prosper" or "thrive."

There's tons of info on it if you Google it.

Ah, the bounty of Google. Thanks for that information. Does anyone else have any "wives-talesy" reasons? Same with "bless you" really...

God Speed

let me google that for you…

hehe

I love the service today! Can I get a mustard smiley face on that?

Seriously though, thank you both.

tracing the history of a word, isn't that called etymology?  Very interesting question vron

• Goodbye" is a contraction of 'God Be With You'. 
• In our family we sign things off with 'TTFN'.... a hangover from wartime BBC radio days when a character in the show 'It's That Man Again (ITMA)' would finish with the words 'TTFN... Ta-ta for now!'  
• "Adieu" means literally 'unto God' and suggest you won't see someone again until you're both inside the pearly gates. 
• "Wotcha" (greeting) is from the mediaeval 'what cheer?'.  London-based.

Tyburn Gallows, just outside the City of London was the scene of many executions between the 16th and 18th century.  Condemned prisoners were transported there by open cart from Newgate prison and the crowds loved it if they approached their deaths with a swagger and good humour.  So they were permitted to stop at an alehouse on the way for a last drink or 'one for the road'.  Those guarding the prisoners weren't allowed a drink because they were 'on the wagon'

I believe that "bless you" comes from the idea that when you sneeze, you scare off the evil spirits, and so "bless you" is essentially "Hey, thanks for doing that."

Or that you are getting sick, and so people are hoping that God will bless you and not let you die....

gi-gane and amethystgirl- very interesting!

One origin I remember from (perhaps falsified) lessons elementary school is where "raining cats and dogs" came from. I believe it's that at one point in London, the streets where so overrun with cats and dogs that they would run along rooftops, inevitably falling on occassion- particularly in the slippery rain? Anyone from England care to contradict the tale?

Original Post by osainto:

tracing the history of a word, isn't that called etymology?  Very interesting question vron

i always look to the OED for etymology.  i like the OED online, but i'm still hoping to get my aunt's hard copy (not the compact, mind you; the complete.  i want.).

Original Post by amethystgirl:

I believe that "bless you" comes from the idea that when you sneeze, you scare off the evil spirits, and so "bless you" is essentially "Hey, thanks for doing that."

Or that you are getting sick, and so people are hoping that God will bless you and not let you die....

I always heard that saying "bless you" when you sneeze is because your heart stops for an instant when sneezing. Therefore "bless you" so the heart will start again.

found this about sneezing

http://health.howstuffworks.com/sneezing.htm

r4eboxer - according to wikipedia, we both could be right.

Original Post by r4eboxer:

Original Post by amethystgirl:

I believe that "bless you" comes from the idea that when you sneeze, you scare off the evil spirits, and so "bless you" is essentially "Hey, thanks for doing that."

Or that you are getting sick, and so people are hoping that God will bless you and not let you die....

I always heard that saying "bless you" when you sneeze is because your heart stops for an instant when sneezing. Therefore "bless you" so the heart will start again.

found this about sneezing

http://health.howstuffworks.com/sneezing.htm

i'm pretty sure sneezing was an early symptom of the plague.  "bless you" is like - damn.  hope you don't die, but if you do, hope god is on your side.

Original Post by pgeorgian:

i'm pretty sure sneezing was an early symptom of the plague.  "bless you" is like - damn.  hope you don't die, but if you do, hope god is on your side.

I always thought that this explanation made the most sense.

on the bless you note, I think that it is a combintation of all the answers suggested.

When you sneeze, you do scare away the evil spirits, but in doing so you cause your heart to stop, so we say bless you not only for thanks, but to bless your heart to start again as well.  Bless you is llike hitting two birds with one stone....

Original Post by vron082:

Anyone from England care to contradict the tale?

I'm in England... I pretty sure that the 'cats and dogs slipping off rooftops' is an urban myth.  (Most animals sensibly take cover when it rains, not jump on a roof)  We also say things like 'raining stair-rods'.... and they don't generally sit on rooftops either.

I've read that, in the past, heavy rainfall causing overflowing drains and swollen rivers in urban areas meant that dead animals would be often be washed along.... But then why not 'rats and mice', why dogs and cats? 

An explanation I prefer is that the 'cat' in Norse mythology represents the rain... and sailors in some regions still use the term when referring to bad weather.  The 'dog' or the wolf - companion of Odin the storm-god - represents the wind.  So whether that is 'cats and dogs' would be heavy rain with a lot of wind.

An explanation I prefer is that the 'cat' in Norse mythology represents the rain... and sailors in some regions still use the term when referring to bad weather.  The 'dog' or the wolf - companion of Odin the storm-god - represents the wind.  So whether that is 'cats and dogs' would be heavy rain with a lot of wind.

I think I'll adopt this explanation. It's evokes Romantic/ Coleridge imagery that is much lovlier, really. Thanks, gi-gane. I'm stealing it, and yes, will present it as my own.

Take that lords of plagiarism!