# "Wear it in good health": Jewish saying? Jewish--\>NYC saying? Generally known? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 15, 2013, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wear-it-in-good-health-jewish-saying-jewish-nyc-saying-generally-known/673996 "2013-11-15T17:13:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wear-it-in-good-health-jewish-saying-jewish-nyc-saying-generally-known/673996/1 "2013-11-15T17:13:43Z")
Subject means: among Jews of a certain age or upbringing in NY (cite: Jews I’ve met here), “wear it in good health” is a common, pleasant, non-sarcastic thing to say when someone shows you new clothes or shoes that he is happy that he has just bought. Is anyone non-Jewish, non-NY aware of it? I say perhaps NYC only because some Yiddishisms become general currency. (See future thread: “‘Enjoy’ as intransitive?”) I’m guessing it first appears in Yiddish, if my theory is correct. (Reason for post uncomprehending black Gap salesman who heard me jokingly self-wish it.) Eta: asked mods to fix typo in hed. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wear-it-in-good-health-jewish-saying-jewish-nyc-saying-generally-known/673996/2 "2013-11-15T17:20:07Z")
I’m just a data point, but I’ve been aware of it for at least 25 years and I’m neither Jewish nor from (nor have ever lived) in NYC or even NYS/NJ. I couldn’t tell you how I’m familiar with it because I don’t know…probably TV or from reading it somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wear-it-in-good-health-jewish-saying-jewish-nyc-saying-generally-known/673996/3 "2013-11-15T17:36:20Z")
I had a Misty Harbor \*trenchcoat that had that on the label. That would have been mid 1980s. It was later stolen out of my car. No big loss, and really a waste of money. It’s not something you get to wear a lot where I live. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wear-it-in-good-health-jewish-saying-jewish-nyc-saying-generally-known/673996/4 "2013-11-15T17:38:04Z")
Gentile, 60 years old, in Indiana, and I’ve heard it all my life. ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wear-it-in-good-health-jewish-saying-jewish-nyc-saying-generally-known/673996/5 "2013-11-15T17:54:40Z")
Could it be related to the Yiddishism “gay gezunt un kum gezunt”? (=“safe travels!”; or, literally, “go in health and return in health!”) ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wear-it-in-good-health-jewish-saying-jewish-nyc-saying-generally-known/673996/6 "2013-11-15T18:06:55Z")
**Moderator Note** > [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Eta: asked mods to fix typo in hed. Done. “Where it in good health” changed to “Wear it in good health”. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wear-it-in-good-health-jewish-saying-jewish-nyc-saying-generally-known/673996/7 "2013-11-15T18:16:25Z")
Interesting. Thanks to all. Note to self: talk about clothes with Gentiles more. Still, guy at Gap never heard of it, thought it sounded bizarre. Will continue querying Gentiles. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wear-it-in-good-health-jewish-saying-jewish-nyc-saying-generally-known/673996/8 "2013-11-15T18:16:26Z")
> [@Flywheel](#): > > Could it be related to the Yiddishism “gay gezunt un kum gezunt”? (=“safe travels!”; or, literally, “go in health and return in health!”) I’ve know the phrase as long as I can remember, about 60 years. No relation to the one above which is about going somewhere. My mother had a Sam Levinson 78 from about 1950 with Kid: I’m running away from home! Jewish Mother: gay gezunt un kum gezunt. I’ll pack you sandwiches. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wear-it-in-good-health-jewish-saying-jewish-nyc-saying-generally-known/673996/9 "2013-11-15T18:25:14Z")
I was 11 and was getting gear for my first Boy Scout outing. I showed my brother my new first aid kit and he told me “Use it in good health.” Then we both realized what he said and we laughed. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wear-it-in-good-health-jewish-saying-jewish-nyc-saying-generally-known/673996/10 "2013-11-15T18:36:56Z")
I recall reading an article about fact-checking dialogue for historical movies, and this precise example came up. Someone was wondering if it was a phrase that a typical 19th century New Yorker would have used. The verdict was that it was derived from a Yiddish phrase (probably **Flywheel** ’s, or something similar), and that it wouldn’t be current among non-Jewish New Yorkers back then. It sounds probable. For the life of me, though, I can’t recall where or when I read that piece. As a data point, I think I’ve heard it my entire life, and don’t regard it as anything but normal slang. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wear-it-in-good-health-jewish-saying-jewish-nyc-saying-generally-known/673996/11 "2013-11-15T18:44:11Z")
A quick look at Google N Gram Viewer shows the phrase appearing just before the end of the 19th century, but the earliest uses seem to be from Jewish backgrounds or from New York. > **[Google Books Ngram Viewer](https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=wear%2Bit%2Bin%2Bgood%2Bhealth&year_start=1800&year_end=2000&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t1%3B%2Cwear%20it%20in%20good%20health%3B%2Cc0)** > > Google Books Ngram Viewer ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wear-it-in-good-health-jewish-saying-jewish-nyc-saying-generally-known/673996/12 "2013-11-15T19:26:26Z")
Extremely Jewish-Yiddish thing to say (usually in reply for thanking someone for a gift in my family, but not always) and, like all yiddishisms save a couple, almost completely unknown once you’re 50 miles out of the city. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wear-it-in-good-health-jewish-saying-jewish-nyc-saying-generally-known/673996/13 "2013-11-15T19:27:52Z")
Went to uni in New York. Worked there for a number of years too. I’ve heard both “wear it…” and “use it…” for as far back as I can remember, usually by older folks and, come to think of it, many of whom were Jewish. It is a common phrase. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wear-it-in-good-health-jewish-saying-jewish-nyc-saying-generally-known/673996/14 "2013-11-16T00:08:44Z")
I’m from a Jewish family from the New York area, but grew up in South Florida. I know the phrase well. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wear-it-in-good-health-jewish-saying-jewish-nyc-saying-generally-known/673996/15 "2013-11-16T02:47:17Z")
Pretty common in my Toronto Jewish family. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wear-it-in-good-health-jewish-saying-jewish-nyc-saying-generally-known/673996/16 "2013-11-16T02:58:16Z")
Native Californian here. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard anyone say it in real life, but I’d consider it “well known”…presumably from movies and/or TV, though I can’t recall where I’ve actually heard it there either. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wear-it-in-good-health-jewish-saying-jewish-nyc-saying-generally-known/673996/17 "2013-11-16T03:41:57Z")
Non-Jewish, lifelong New Yorker. I’ve heard this all my life. It’s utterly commonplace to me. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wear-it-in-good-health-jewish-saying-jewish-nyc-saying-generally-known/673996/18 "2013-11-16T05:04:40Z")
I grew up in Chicago, and I’ve heard it all my life. I think it’s just a common saying. I’m not Jewish and didn’t know anyone who was Jewish while I was growing up. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wear-it-in-good-health-jewish-saying-jewish-nyc-saying-generally-known/673996/19 "2013-11-16T06:28:12Z")
My Dad says it, or a variant thereof, like “I wish you good health to enjoy it”. And I am fairly sure we are not Jewish and I have never been to NYC. Mystery travelling phrase. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wear-it-in-good-health-jewish-saying-jewish-nyc-saying-generally-known/673996/20 "2013-11-16T13:16:31Z")
In Ireland, when someone buys a new garment, you wish them “Health to wear”. Maybe that’s a bit old-fashioned now but it was common when I was growing up. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wear-it-in-good-health-jewish-saying-jewish-nyc-saying-generally-known/673996.md?page=2)