# Am I rude for never saying "bless you" in response to people sneezing? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 23, 2009, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-rude-for-never-saying-bless-you-in-response-to-people-sneezing/504047 "2009-07-23T22:35:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-rude-for-never-saying-bless-you-in-response-to-people-sneezing/504047/21 "2009-07-24T02:00:25Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > There’s a guy in my office who has to say “Bless you” for every single sneeze anywhere in the office. Every. single. friggin’. time. Sneeze 5 times in a row? He’ll bless you after each bloody one. That’s _really_ annoying. > > How can “bless you” not have a religious intent? The sentiment is inherently religious. They’re just empty words for most of us. We say it out of habit. Just like how people who say holy cow aren’t Hindus and really don’t think that cows are holy. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-rude-for-never-saying-bless-you-in-response-to-people-sneezing/504047/22 "2009-07-24T02:06:00Z")
“Jesus Christ, why the f@ck don’tcha cover yer goddamn face you pig” always works for me. Guess it depends on the crowd you hang with. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-rude-for-never-saying-bless-you-in-response-to-people-sneezing/504047/23 "2009-07-24T02:11:06Z")
> [@](#): > > Am I rude for never saying “bless you” in response to people sneezing? Quite the opposite, actually - saying “bless you” to a sneeze is rude and annoying. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-rude-for-never-saying-bless-you-in-response-to-people-sneezing/504047/24 "2009-07-24T02:13:07Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Well, I usually leave off the god, but seriously? Being offended by the words “bless you” even if no religious intent is meant? Yes. Apparently you haven’t dealt with large numbers of the public. At least the public I dealt with. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-rude-for-never-saying-bless-you-in-response-to-people-sneezing/504047/25 "2009-07-24T02:20:57Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > Yes. Apparently you haven’t dealt with large numbers of the public. At least the public I dealt with. Wow. If someone’s rude enough to get pissy at “God bless you,” I won’t start with them. ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-rude-for-never-saying-bless-you-in-response-to-people-sneezing/504047/26 "2009-07-24T02:23:32Z")
i hate it when people say Bless You…and I’m religious! I would much prefer people not mention it…I always say excuse me, though…after all, I’m the one spewing germs into the air. My boss has the annoying habit of saying Bless You (accompanied by gross sounds) everytime I sneeze, and I feel I have to say thank you and excuse me at the same time. Or she will say GodBlessYouGodBlessYouGodBlessYou really fast to cover the three sneeze progression…it annoys me no end. The blessing isn’t what bothers me…it’s the unnecessary calling attention to the sneeze. I’d rather people just ignored it. I’ve been in the grocery store, late at night, the only soul for aisles, and sneezed, and had someone halfway across the store shout out “Bless You!” and I have to shout back “Thank You!”. Very annoying. ---
**Author:** ![SSG\_Schwartz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SSG\_Schwartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SSG_Schwartz)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-rude-for-never-saying-bless-you-in-response-to-people-sneezing/504047/27 "2009-07-24T02:24:04Z")
I just say excuse me when I sneeze and ignore the blessings. When someone sneezes in front of me, I ignore that too. Why does one bodily sound need recognition when no others do. I mean you don’t bless a person who farts in public. SSG Schwartz ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-rude-for-never-saying-bless-you-in-response-to-people-sneezing/504047/28 "2009-07-24T02:25:42Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > If you express verbal outrage at someone blessing you, then you’re an asshole. When “blessed” I do get the urge to writhe and scream like a vampire on holy ground. Haven’t yet, but I’d like so see the look on the well-wisher’s face. 🙂 Twisted sense of humour I guess. ---
**Author:** ![TheScogg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@TheScogg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheScogg)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-rude-for-never-saying-bless-you-in-response-to-people-sneezing/504047/29 "2009-07-24T03:21:26Z")
I don’t think it’s rude to not say bless you. With that said, I’ve never been offended or annoyed by someone saying “bless you” to me. It’s just a social habit. Why wave at strangers you pass on the sidewalk when you don’t even know them? Because it’s a nice thing to do…it shows you care about society as a whole even if you don’t care about that person as an individual. ---
**Author:** ![SweetLucy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@SweetLucy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SweetLucy)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-rude-for-never-saying-bless-you-in-response-to-people-sneezing/504047/30 "2009-07-24T03:44:20Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > There’s a guy in my office who has to say “Bless you” for every single sneeze anywhere in the office. Every. single. friggin’. time. Sneeze 5 times in a row? He’ll bless you after each bloody one. That’s _really_ annoying. I once worked in a large cubicle environment that was a veritable sneezing fiesta, all day long. I think it was a combination of allergies, dust and mold piped in through the vents, and people who had colds that lasted for 6 months or so. I said “bless you” sometimes but if I blessed every sneeze I wouldn’t have been able to get a stitch of work done. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-rude-for-never-saying-bless-you-in-response-to-people-sneezing/504047/31 "2009-07-24T03:47:53Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > I just go for the “gesundheit.” Nothing wrong with wishing a person good health. And just do it once, please. If a person is sneezing repeatedly because of allergies, there is no need for making a big fuss. Me too, just gets rid of the whole problem. Funny story, my wife thought gesundheit was just a funny word her dad made up and her family used (her dad was like that), it wasn’t until way later that she found out it was a real word. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-rude-for-never-saying-bless-you-in-response-to-people-sneezing/504047/32 "2009-07-24T03:49:19Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > Me too, just gets rid of the whole problem. Funny story, my wife thought gesundheit was just a funny word her dad made up and her family used (her dad was like that), it wasn’t until way later that she found out it was a real word. I used to think that, too! :o (Blow job smiley!) ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-rude-for-never-saying-bless-you-in-response-to-people-sneezing/504047/33 "2009-07-24T14:47:11Z")
> [@SSG\_Schwartz](#): > > I just say excuse me when I sneeze and ignore the blessings. When someone sneezes in front of me, I ignore that too. Why does one bodily sound need recognition when no others do. I mean you don’t bless a person who farts in public. > > SSG Schwartz I’m sooo going to start doing this! I’m not around many farters, but on the rare occasion that someone is heard letting one go, there’s often this awkward silence. This seems like a good way to diffuse that, and also embarass the farter just a little bit more! 😛 If you want to leave the Flying Spaghetti Monster or any Magic Sky Fairies out of the whole equation, then “gesundheit” or its counterpart around here, “salud,” works just fine. Sure, it’s an odd little custom, one I couldn’t explain to benevolent-but-curious aliens if they landed and asked me. But people have \*lots \*of odd little customs. ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-rude-for-never-saying-bless-you-in-response-to-people-sneezing/504047/34 "2009-07-24T15:06:36Z")
> [@SSG\_Schwartz](#): > > I just say excuse me when I sneeze and ignore the blessings. When someone sneezes in front of me, I ignore that too. Why does one bodily sound need recognition when no others do. I mean you don’t bless a person who farts in public. > > SSG Schwartz This is what I do. I know it’s a social norm, but I always did think it was weird that if you sneezed, it was polite to say bless you or gesundheit, but not for anything else. Even coughing, which is similar to sneezing in that it’s a symptom of possible illness, so wishing someone good health when the cough makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![kapri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4491bb/32.png) [@kapri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kapri)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-rude-for-never-saying-bless-you-in-response-to-people-sneezing/504047/35 "2009-07-24T15:24:23Z")
I am 100% behind you, OP. I rarely say “bless you,” and for the same reasons. Sometimes, though, I feel pressured to say it, and I do, and then I want to kick myself for giving in. ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-rude-for-never-saying-bless-you-in-response-to-people-sneezing/504047/36 "2009-07-24T15:33:12Z")
For me, it’s like shave-and-a-haircut. After I sneeze, I expect someone to say “bless you,” so I wait for it, and am relieved when someone says it. I expect others feel the same way, so I regularly say it. I think it’s a mildly annoying and wholly stupid custom, however. My wife presents a challenge, as she _never_ sneezes once, or even twice. It’s always 4 or 5 times. I can’t squeeze in a “bless you” after the first one. There’s usually a gap between the second to the last one and the last one, where I think, “Is it time?” So half the tiem I wait till I know the storm has passed, and the rest of the time I just tell her to STFU. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-rude-for-never-saying-bless-you-in-response-to-people-sneezing/504047/37 "2009-07-24T15:40:56Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > Me too, just gets rid of the whole problem. Funny story, my wife thought gesundheit was just a funny word her dad made up and her family used (her dad was like that), it wasn’t until way later that she found out it was a real word. I was hiking in Yosemite and met another hiker headed up the same trail. He was German (from Argentina) and we hiked, chatting for a while. At some point he sneezed and I said “gesundheit”. He turned and in an animated voice asked “Do you speak German?” ---
**Author:** ![phall0106](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phall0106/32/5934_2.png) [@phall0106](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phall0106)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-rude-for-never-saying-bless-you-in-response-to-people-sneezing/504047/38 "2009-07-24T16:04:18Z")
> [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](#): > > Don’t say anything. I have allergies and I sneeze a lot and I don’t like when people call attention to it. Just ignore it. That. I prefer not to acknowledge it one way or the other in part because of this. Also, I figure I’m not going to acknowledge someone expulsing air from their ass, why should I acknowledge someone expulsing air from their nose? Just icky. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-rude-for-never-saying-bless-you-in-response-to-people-sneezing/504047/39 "2009-07-24T16:05:31Z")
I just forgot to mention. I say “bless you” when my dogs sneeze. And I feel no hypocrisy whatever doing it. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-rude-for-never-saying-bless-you-in-response-to-people-sneezing/504047/40 "2009-07-24T16:09:26Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > I just forgot to mention. I say “bless you” when my dogs sneeze. And I feel no hypocrisy whatever doing it. I’m sure they appreciate your respect of superstition. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-rude-for-never-saying-bless-you-in-response-to-people-sneezing/504047.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-rude-for-never-saying-bless-you-in-response-to-people-sneezing/504047.md?page=3)