His second, in 1985, signed off, “God bless you, and may God bless America”—a subtly less hectorish variant. Nevertheless, I suspect that emulation of the Great Communicator is responsible ...

God Bless You! Idioms for Those With the Cold and Flu Illness. Several common cold and flu expressions have catchy stories behind them. By ABC News. September 17, 2008, 2:52 PM.