When People Sneeze...

[Shawnee123]

"You're so good looking'"

Seinfeld

[DanaC]

Bless you, or gesundheit....it varies. If it's a big sneeze I might say Bloody hell.

[Nirvana]

The reason people say gesundheit [good health] or bless you is because when a person sneezes their heart stops for that instant.

[Nirvana]

I forgot, I say gesundheit probably because until I was around five my vocabulary was mostly German.

[jinx]

Bleshoo

[monster]

Originally Posted by Nirvana

The reason people say gesundheit [good health] or bless you is because when a person sneezes their heart stops for that instant.

no, it doesn't.



as i understood it, the "gesundheit" simply relates to the fact that a sneeze usually indicates sickness, and the "bless you" is because people used to believe that you lose consciousness when you sneeze, which gives the devil an opportunity to sneak in and possess your soul.

Of course both of those could be bullshit too.

[busterb]

Originally Posted by NoBoxes

I ask: "Could you repeat your question?"

It's surprising how many people respond with: "No, I was just sneezing." (as though they were used to being asked to repeat what they've just said).

Drift! We did that to people who had their arms full." Hey got a light." Have a cigarette in hand even if a no smoking area.

[HungLikeJesus]

I usually say "godzilla."

If I sneeze and someone says godblessyou, I say "Mothra."

[sweetwater]

Mothra. That struck me just right.

[wolf]

Mostly Gesundheit, but occasionally "blessings," less frequently, "use a tissue, you pig."

The last is mostly reserved for male cow orkers.

I have the misfortune of engaging in long series of sneezes. Not Guinness-level numbers, but usually at least 8-12 at a go.

I have to gasp out to people who start blessing me "hold onto it, I won't be done for a while, and you'll get tired of doing that. Save 'em up for the end."

[Razzmatazz13]

(I dunno how to do the youtube thingy)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P21irX3zXCo

"Nothing happens when you die."

[Undertoad]

goes in tight

My ex had a real problem with "god bless you" as a militant atheist.

Originally Posted by wolf

... I have the misfortune of engaging in long series of sneezes. ...

When people chain sneeze I say: "So, you think you're one of the seven dwarfs ."

[DanaC]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

goes in tight

My ex had a real problem with "god bless you" as a militant atheist.

'Militant Atheist' was my user title here for ages! Pretty much til Jim started dishing out names.

Stuff like that doesn't bother me much. My mum, who believes there is no God, no spirit world and the end is the end still says, when startled by something, stuff like: "Oh my Godfathers and mothers!" There are others involving saints and angels.

I say My God! I say Bless you. Such expressions are both instinctive and handy. That I don't believe in God doesn't stop the word carrying connotations useful for the expression. The fact that they are holy adds weight and emphasis regardless of belief because of their cultural place in our imaginary.

[Sundae]

Mostly I say Bless you.
If it's my Dad or my brother I just look at them. Because that chances are I'm going to go off any second.

We all have photic sneeze reflex (mentioned before) so if we're going from shade to light, we'll all start within seconds of eachother.

The most I will do is count. Because:
Once a kiss; Twice a wish; Three times a letter; Four something better!

Except we all sneeze in fives. So we decided it was going around again. But the only kisses you get as children are from your parents anyway, so it seems like a booby prize. How I wished for three of eight sneezes! Having a mistrust of wishes from a child... Except those wish-based..?