not to be sneezed at

[dr.eden]

where does the phrase 'not to be sneezed at come from & what does it mean?

[Dusky]

One idea might be that, in certain cultures, people would feign a sneeze as an indication of disbelief or suspicion if they thought someone was telling a tall story.

 

In the classical piece "Lieutenant Kije" by Zoltan Kodaly, Kije is reknowned for his exaggerations and there is a very brief movement (a matter of seconds) which represents a huge sneeze from the assembled company.

 

I suspect, therefore, that if something is "not to be sneezed at" it should be deemed reliable and/or believable.  Though, now I'm writing this, I realise it's often used when talking about larger sums of money.  Maybe that's to do with the exaggeration part...

[Quizmonster]

"Pshaw!" was an expression used as far back as the 1600s to convey disbelief, contempt etc and often used with 'at'. The word itself is, clearly, basically just a sneeze-sound...a sharp expulsion of air. The phrase "not to be sneezed at" did not appear until the early 19th century. I suspect, therefore, that it was just an updating of "not to be pshawed at"...ie "definitely worth considering".