Ok, see the last thread about rebuffing unwanted vendors.

Someone said 'say sağol". Now the TLC dict. says that means "thank you" informally. But in one of the new Hababam Sinifi's and in the "Dunayi Kurtaran Adam Oğlum" There are scenes where the students (or crew) are standing at attention and the Headmsters/Captain says something like your duty is this or that, and they all say "sağol"

My opinion is that it comes from "sag" and "ol" then something like "become rightful". In this way, I think I understand
thehandsom and Roswitha recommendations.

Opinions?

Sağ ol (Sağol), Sağ olun, Sağ olunuz
This form is used a lot to thank some one for some extra service or for something that has put them out. It is far more stronger than - Teşekkür ederim - Thank you.

If for instance you ask a stranger for the time you could answer - Sağol - Stay healthy! - As a thank you for his trouble.

sağ in in sağol is nothing to do with 'right'
It simply means alive, sağol means 'be alive'
It is less formal and warmer than 'tesekkur ederim'.

I would not use tesekkur ederim with my family (or with my close friends) for example, I would use 'sagol'.

Sağ is a root that means the state of being healthy

Sağlık= health
sağlıklı=healthy

Just as over the centuries words develop meanings in English (sinister comes from the word for left, as left handed people were seen as something odd), they have the same in Turkish.

so we also have:

Sağlamak: to provide, to ensure that something happens
Sağ: right (direction) (think of sağ el: your good hand)

Sağol is used in 2 ways:

In civilian life: thank you

In the army: a response from the troops to the commanding officer, a bit like the US marines' Hoo-ra.

I always think it as a nice hope. I mean, it is a response, or a "prayer" or a wish: "Be healthy!" or "Stay healthy!"

Sağ ol

There is no meaning of "right" as a direction like "turn right" = "sağa dön", or the right of doing something like "all rights reserved" = "Tüm hakları saklıdır"

You told that you heard this in the movies Hababam Sınıfı and Dünyayı Kurtaran Adamın Oğlu. I haven't watch the second one but I can talk about Hababam Sınıfı movies.

This movie is about a class full of naughty guys. In Turkish schools, when teacher enters into the classroom, students stands up and waits for teacher's greeting. He (or she) says "merhaba" or "günaydın" or whatever he prefers as a greeting. And then students say: "Sağ ol"

A similar thing happens in ceremonies or formal days which students place their order and wait for the speech of speaker. Let's say the speaker is the managaer of the school. When he came to the "rostrum", he greets the students and then students say "sağ ol".

This is the same greetings of army. For that reason, you may see that in army greetings too. That is just a response which the students or soldiers have to say for a greeting like this.

Very interesting, Caliptrix,thanks.

Army greetings occur like this:
(A commander or a president greets a group of soldier)

-Merhaba asker!
-Sağol!
-Nasılsın?
-Sağol!
-Siz de sağolun.

Again, thanks everyone!