• SolarMonkey@slrpnk.net
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    5
    ·
    3 days ago

    Fun, lighthearted, fact: the term blowing smoke originates from an old drowning resuscitation practice, in which blowing smoke up the butt of a drowning person was supposed to bring them around.

    Obviously it didn’t work, but people still did it for a long time in spite of that, and thus “blowing smoke up my ass” as a phrase to mean being intentionally dishonest.

    • syreus@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      3 days ago

      A little context; This began as American First Nations medical tech. Tobacco smoke enemas were used to treat a variety of conditions, including constipation, bowel obstruction, and colic. They eventually abandoned this because of the toxicity of nicotine. The drowning bit was a last resort treatment. We don’t have any info on it ever working. As far as old medicine goes this isn’t the biggest offender.