What do you say when someone sneezes?

"Bless you"

11 (20.4%)

"God bless you"

2 (3.7%)

"Gesundheit"

10 (18.5%)

"Alhamdulillah"

1 (1.9%)

"If you sneeze in my direction again I'll fucking sue!"

1 (1.9%)

"Screw the government!"

3 (5.6%)

Something else - English

7 (13%)

Something else - other language

1 (1.9%)

Never say anything

18 (33.3%)

Total Members Voted: 47

[AL the Inconspicuous]

I got in the habit of saying "gesundheit" during my militant atheist days, thinking that wishing someone "good health" was a fairly rational thing to do in that circumstance.  Do people still say that?  Does it come off as too Jewy or what?  Also, when people say "(God) bless you", does that come off as too pushy preachy religious? 


(Hey, not that it matters, but I'm contractually obligated to flood the Polling Pit with stupid polls every so often.)

[The ghost of a ghost of a ghost]

The Mexicans have a funny saying I use.  They say Sancho to men and Sancha to women.
It's meant to imply the reason you are sneezing is b/c Sancho is with your woman, or Sancha is with your man.

When people tell me God bless you, I sometimes respond, "I don't need any god damn blessings, but thank you for caring." 

I guess it really depends on the person as to what I say.

I hear atheists sometimes say "bless you" out of habit.

[gibson042]

I got in the habit of saying "gesundheit" during my militant atheist days, thinking that wishing someone "good health" was a fairly rational thing to do in that circumstance.

I use Gesundheit for the same reason. And I say "farewell" and "so long" more than most, but finally gave up on finding a universal alternative to "bye" (etymologically descended from "God be with ye"). Ultimately, a secular practice derived from a previously religious one is no less secular.

[Robin]

Everyone here says Gesundheit...

[davann]

I say "bless you". "Screw the government!" sounds good. Think I will switch.

[Harry Tuttle]

I say "Salud!" (health in Spanish). At least it doesn't seem superstitious. It actually seems relevant. Given the fact that I'm around Spanish-speakers all of the time it is more acceptable.

I think it is a silly tradition. When someone's allergies are going crazy I wish I could just leave them in peace, but I don't want to be labeled anti-social. Indeed, if I am sneezing, I prefer to be left alone and not have to return a "thank you". If I am friendly enough with certain people who feel as I do, we just agree not to bother each other.

Belches, farts, yawns, and hiccups are also involuntary outbursts. Why don't we "bless people for that". Well, okay, sometimes I do bless myself for a good belch.  

[gibson042]

Everyone here says Gesundheit...

Natürlich, Frl.

[gibson042]

And YOU:

Belches, farts, yawns, and hiccups are also involuntary outbursts. Why don't we "bless people for that".

Please don't try to expand the domain of an already silly custom!

[KDus]

I don't have the power to bless any one, nor do I believe they can command a god to do so. If they DO have the power to bless others, why reserve it for something as trivial as a sneeze?

[anarchir]

Everyone around here says "bless you" but when I'm in the middle of sneezing ten times  in a row I just want to tell them "STFU I'm not done yet!"

[Rillion]

I bless people.  Not in God's name, in my name.  If it has no effect, it's because they don't believe. 

[Harry Tuttle]

I was really hoping the Sienfeld's idea would catch on. "You are sooooo good looking".

[Sam Gunn (since nobody got Admiral Naismith)]

I say "kerbleshu" lol.  Or nothing at all.  I hate when people tell me "bless you" or something because then I have to interrupt my sneezing and say "thanks" and saying "thanks" seems kinda awkward to me.

Hell I sneezed a few times, who cares?

[rookie]

I don't have the power to bless any one, nor do I believe they can command a god to do so. If they DO have the power to bless others, why reserve it for something as trivial as a sneeze?

why are you such a prick!?




I decided today that it's fun to say  "bless you" when someone burps too.  I also recall once having said, "god-damn you" to sneezy friend who absent-mindedly thanked me afterward

[AL the Inconspicuous]

Oh shoot, there was a similar thread about Atheists and Sneezes.  My bad - I forgot that I participated in it, and I must have spelled "gesundheit" wrong when I searched and didn't notice.  I'm going to cover my accidental hypocrisy here (I always advocate trying to revive existing threads instead of starting new ones) by steering the conversation in an original direction...  How about...

What would people say when someone sneezes in a 100% enlightened government-free Utopia?

Maybe they'd just silently reach for their smartphone, use the camera face recognition to quickly open that person's reputation wiki page, and add something like "doesn't cover her mouth when sneezing in public".  That would make the food at Taco Bell just a little bit safer, I guess.