What do you say?
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.)
6
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Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.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.
AustinSkepticus
Level 7
Mar 25, 2018
12
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.
NicoleCadmium
Level 7
Mar 25, 2018
5
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.
Gilgamesh155326
Level 5
Mar 25, 2018
0
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!
IAMGROOT
Level 7
Mar 25, 2018
5
The obvious answer is "You are soooo good looking."
Alimacbean
Level 7
Mar 26, 2018
1
Goves over a lot of peoples head gesundheit, especial where a lot of Spanish is spoken.
azzow2
Level 9
Mar 25, 2018
0
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.
Got to say something-mom taught me manners.
sassygirl3869
Level 9
Mar 25, 2018
4
or a varaiation of gesundheit, such as gusundiheight, or any other way to mis pronounce the word
mrcharlie65
Level 6
Mar 25, 2018
0
I say "bless you and all the people you blew away!"
TheLiberalGent
Level 7
Mar 25, 2018
0
If they sneeze multiple times, I’ll say “that’s enough!”
cercatrova
Level 6
Mar 26, 2018
1
Gesundheit most often. Occasionally "May the Force be with you."
LurknessMonster
Level 4
Mar 29, 2018
0
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