# Alternative to "Bless You" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 27, 2002, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-bless-you/100319 "2002-03-27T03:52:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Methos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Methos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Methos)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-bless-you/100319/1 "2002-03-27T03:52:55Z")
Ok here’s the deal. I’m not a religious person, and at times I feel rude not to say something when someone sneezes, but at the same time I don’t particularly want to say “Bless You” either. I was trying to think of what else to say, in German they use ‘Gesundheit’ meaning good health. So anywho, to make a long story short…any ideas on an alternative IN English on how to say ‘Bless You’ (and yes…i do have time on my hands since exams don’t start for another 2 weeks :P) Cheers ---
**Author:** ![Loopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loopus/32/15343_2.png) [@Loopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopus)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-bless-you/100319/2 "2002-03-27T04:03:08Z")
This should probably be in IMHO. Anyway, I always say “gesundheit,” both because I’m not religious and that’s what my mother always said when I was growing up, she being of German descent. Besides, it makes more sense to wish someone good health after they sneeze than to bless them. I can’t really think of any English alternatives to “bless you.” It’s really a meaningless phrase, though, since I doubt even the religious see themselves as conveying a blessing on the sneezer when they say “bless you.” If you want to speak English, you might be stuck with it. -Loopus ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-bless-you/100319/3 "2002-03-27T04:07:58Z")
How about _You are soooooo good lookin’_? Colin ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-bless-you/100319/4 "2002-03-27T04:11:50Z")
Why do you consider it rude not to say anything at all? I too have a problem with “Bless you”, not because of any religious nature, but because it always struck me as rather superstitious. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-bless-you/100319/5 "2002-03-27T04:13:23Z")
My freshman English teacher demanded that everyone yell “Gesundheit!” as loud as possible when anyone in the class sneezed. Toward the end of the year, it became second nature. This was especially amusing when taking the final for that class. 1. 30 minutes of silence while everyone is writing… 2. Sneeze 3. **GESUNDHEIT!!** 4. Total silence until the end of the exam ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-bless-you/100319/6 "2002-03-27T04:20:58Z")
GQ is for questions with factual answers. Since this is more a matter of opinion than fact, I’ll send this thread over to IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![ubermensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bcef8e/32.png) [@ubermensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ubermensch)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-bless-you/100319/7 "2002-03-27T04:22:54Z")
i prefer “didja get any on ya?” ---
**Author:** ![Catfood\_Purrito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Catfood\_Purrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catfood_Purrito)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-bless-you/100319/8 "2002-03-27T05:04:39Z")
I usually say, “hail sneezer!” ---
**Author:** ![Methos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Methos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Methos)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-bless-you/100319/9 "2002-03-27T05:05:44Z")
hahaha…so far the best one has to be "you are sooooooooooooo good looking xcept there’s a slight prob…what if you’re a guy (as I am) and the other person that sneezes is a guy too?? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![MrVisible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@MrVisible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrVisible)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-bless-you/100319/10 "2002-03-27T05:20:45Z")
Hm. I always thought Ghesundheit was German for “If you sneeze near me again I’ll kill you.” Learn something new every day. ---
**Author:** ![Serendipity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Serendipity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serendipity)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-bless-you/100319/11 "2002-03-27T05:44:36Z")
My slightly crazy AP US history teacher always said, “God bless the United States of America!” after she sneezed. She never said anything after anyone else sneezed, though. Yeah, she was a little odd. ---
**Author:** ![darksight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@darksight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/darksight)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-bless-you/100319/12 "2002-03-27T05:48:43Z")
I never say anything on the first sneeze. But, if someone sneeze a second time I say very loud. WOULD YOU PLEASE STOP THAT ! ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-bless-you/100319/13 "2002-03-27T11:51:08Z")
The alternative mooted by _Seinfeld_ was “You’re **so** good looking!”. Which is something everyone likes to hear, rather than the meaningless “Bless you”. I prefer not to say anything if someone near me sneezes. I don’t feel the need to verbally acknowledge other bodily functions, so sneezes receive no special dispensation from me. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-bless-you/100319/14 "2002-03-27T13:04:19Z")
According to [Dictionary.com](http://www.dictionary.com/search?q=bless), “bless” can also mean > [@](#): > > 5.To confer well-being or prosperity on. An example of this usage is found in Genesis 27:27… > [@](#): > > “So he [Jacob] went to him [Isaac] and kissed him. When Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he **blessed** him and said… [long poem about prosperity and whatnot]” (New International Version. Thompson, ed. 1974) So saying “Bless you” to someone doesn’t necessarily mean “I invoke the name of the Judeo-Christian Almighty to manifest health and prosperity unto you.” It can simply mean, “I wish you health [and prosperity and so on].” ---
**Author:** ![Skerri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Skerri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skerri)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-bless-you/100319/15 "2002-03-27T13:07:54Z")
I have a friend who is seriously un-religious. He usually gets mad if I say ‘bless you’ or ‘ghesundheit’, so I usually say “Hagen Das” or ‘fruzun glace’ (sp?) or “would you knock that off?” to him. I prefer ‘bless you’. It’s nicer.- _Singles_ 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-bless-you/100319/16 "2002-03-27T13:15:28Z")
“Hey! Cover your god damn mouth when you do that!” ---
**Author:** ![bobkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-bless-you/100319/17 "2002-03-27T13:29:20Z")
There was a thread a while back that may have gotten lost in the Great Purging, but someone commented that when people sneeze you should say (paraphrasing here) “Where’s your Christ now, God-boy?” I almost pissed myself over that one- Mr. Kitty uses it every now and then. 😃 I say gesundheit, and if there’s a second sneeze they get the German for ‘and again.’ I don’t feel uncomfy about that, mainly because the majority of the population has heard, at some point in their lives, the word gesundheit, and they at least recognize that I’m following the unspoken rules of society. I can’t think of a good English response that isn’t snide or sarcastic. You may have to resort to not saying anything, offering them a kleenex, or saying gesundheit. -BK ---
**Author:** ![MaceMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@MaceMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaceMan)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-bless-you/100319/18 "2002-03-27T13:37:46Z")
Unless you are talking directly to someone when they sneeze, I don’t see why you should ever say anything. As someone who has terrible allergies, I find it frustrating when each sneeze brings the attention of complete strangers to myself at a time when I least want it, and I am forced to acknowledge their comments. I’ll do just fine without your silly "bless you"s, thank you. Why add to the disruption that my series of sneezes are causing? I already feel bad enough about it, and it makes me feel more self-conscious and embarrassed, especially in the middle of someone else’s lecture during class. ---
**Author:** ![Legomancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/779978/32.png) [@Legomancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Legomancer)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-bless-you/100319/19 "2002-03-27T14:42:05Z")
I’ve gone the way of saying “Excuse Me” right after I sneeze. It tends to confuse people, but it puts the burden of saying anything on me. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-bless-you/100319/20 "2002-03-27T17:36:27Z")
“I asked for the news, not the weather”? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-to-bless-you/100319.md?page=2)