At my work, I started saying "good luck" when someone sneezes. I'm happy that its caught on! I have no problem saying "bless you" or "gesundheit" (I'm half German after all,) but am wondering what other people say, if anything, (which I sometimes say nothing.)
Gesundheit. I took German for 2 years and it basically means "to better health" or something like that. Or I could be interesting and say "Hail Satan." Lol.
I think it means "go away ghost".
interesting @icolan... I recall my German professor explaining the "gesund" was some form of the verb go and "heit" refers to Spirit. related to the English word "haint". but there's reason to believe that I just dreamed it. It's said when people sneeze for the same reason people say bless you.
We don't comment when someone coughs, belches or breaks wind. The origins of blessing someone for sneezing are supposedly in that they might signifiy the beginning of a fatal illness (typically Bubonic Plague.) That's a long time gone, now.
So I say nothing. I actually makes me feel awkward when someone comments on me sneezing.
its actually the pneumonic form of the plague. People usually died within days. SO a sneeze portended doom and for those that believed a blessing was needed pretty quickly
Not so sure about "breaking wind". A colleague broke wind...accidentally and laud and another teachers said to him "GOD PROTECT US ALL'.
Bless you, not from a religious context but is a saying dating from 1665 the black PLague times.
The song originated from UK namely London (RinG of Roses)
Americans say it wrong- as 'Ashes ashes we all fall down is not the original wordage'. The song is Atissue (a sneeze) the word bless you was a result of people sneezing hoping it wasn't the plague.
Atishoo... Atishoo , we all fall down ... I thought you meant a tissue as in Kleenex !
Lol
Hahha yes mate, bloody autocorrect on phones arrrrrrrrg
Ich bin ein Wiesbadener! Guten morgen fellow German! On this topic, I have gotten to where I say nothing at all. I have said Gesundheit in the past, but now I say nothing. I bristle at the expectation that anything at all needs to be said. Maybe I'm just getting cranky in my old age. LOL!
Got to say something-mom taught me manners.
Goves over a lot of peoples head gesundheit, especial where a lot of Spanish is spoken.
On a light note on occasion when I was younger I would say gesundheit to a woman and she was in a playful mood would reply. Do you want to find out? Taking gesundheit as goes in tight.
The obvious answer is "You are soooo good looking."
Never say bless you and find it repulsive especially near me and even worse if it's not inhibited.
I like looking people in the eye and, with a straight face, tell them they're going to die of an anurism............................. Nah! I usually say nothing or Gesundheit. Gesundheit just means you're wishing them good health so I see no harm in it.
I say nothing at all and loathe when someone says "god bless you" to me. "Gesundheit" is acceptable if you must say something and "wow" is okay and a little phunny if I sneeze more than three times. If I'm in a mood, I'll give them the history behind their superstition in a very condescending way.
some ignorant humans thought a sneeze was the soul leaving the body and it supposedly couldnt return unless the body was first cleansed with a blessing. i usually say bless you and offer that story
Ancient (war time) UK Version.
Coughs and sneezes spread diseases.