# Gesundheit

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gesundheit/67582>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 4, 2001, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gesundheit/67582 "2001-06-04T22:26:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![I\_am\_Bazicket](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/db5fbb/32.png) [@I\_am\_Bazicket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_am_Bazicket)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2001, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gesundheit/67582/1 "2001-06-04T22:26:31Z")

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If someone sneezed in church during a mass, do you say “Bless you”? I always wondered about it because I’m used to saying bless you whenever someone sneezes but thinking that I’m in a church and the priest is there, is the sneezer automatically “blessed”?

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**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2001, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gesundheit/67582/2 "2001-06-05T01:18:43Z")

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In a related question, when I was a callow youth, my grandfather always responded to my sneezes with the traditional “gesundheit”, but added a german phrase, which sounds like “No Hi Mall” after it. Sadly, he passed on before I ever got around to asking him what it meant. Anyone help me out here?

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**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2001, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gesundheit/67582/3 "2001-06-05T03:24:47Z")

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Would your grandfather say that after you sneezed a second time? I’ve heard that before:  
(Arnold sneezes) - Geshundheit!  
(Arnold immediately sneezes a second time) - Noch einmal! (noch einmal means “once again” or “still another time”)

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**Author:** ![Spavined\_Gelding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Spavined\_Gelding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spavined_Gelding)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2001, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gesundheit/67582/4 "2001-06-05T03:51:05Z")

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Right on, Arnold. It’s the same thing you say to the bar maid when you want another beer. Noch einmal, bitte.

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**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2001, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gesundheit/67582/5 "2001-06-05T03:51:25Z")

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And for those of you wondering…Gesundheit means “good health.”

Jman

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2001, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gesundheit/67582/6 "2001-06-05T04:50:47Z")

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This is just way too silly.