# "one for sorrow, two for joy...."

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-for-sorrow-two-for-joy/84403>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [September 28, 2001, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-for-sorrow-two-for-joy/84403 "2001-09-28T23:10:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![magpie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magpie)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2001, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-for-sorrow-two-for-joy/84403/1 "2001-09-28T23:10:20Z")

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“One for sorrow, two for joy  
Three for a girl, four for a boy  
Five for silver, six for gold  
Seven for a secret never to be told  
Eight for a wish, nine for a kiss  
Ten for a time of joyous bliss”

the above rhyme also appears in folklore and superstitons regarding the magpie. other versions are as follows:  
“One for sorrow, two for mirth,  
Three for a wedding, four for a birth.  
Five for rich, six for poor,  
Seven for a witch – I can tell you no more.”

“One’s sorrow, two’s mirth,  
Three’s a wedding, four’s a birth,  
Five’s a christening, six a dearth,  
Seven’s heaven, eight is hell,  
And nine’s the devil his old self.”

“One for sadness, two for mirth;  
Three for marriage, four for birth;  
Five for laughing, six for crying:  
Seven for sickness, eight for dying;  
Nine for silver, ten for gold;  
Eleven a secret that will never be told.”  
granted, magpies (as well as other blackbirds) have long been associated with various and sundry evils such as death, witchcraft, illness, etc. i never really thought of sneezing as all that terrifying a prospect, but then, i didn’t live (or die) during the plagues.  
magpie h.

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**Author:** ![trebor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/85f322/32.png) [@trebor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trebor)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2001, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-for-sorrow-two-for-joy/84403/2 "2001-09-29T21:32:40Z")

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In Japan, sneezing is thought to be caused by people talking about you behind your back.

You often see this cliche in movies and anime; some people will be dishing on one of the characters – cut the the character going “achoo!”

The other cute one is that virgins who get sexually aroused get nosebleeds.

R

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**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:** [September 30, 2001, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-for-sorrow-two-for-joy/84403/3 "2001-09-30T00:37:58Z")

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A link to the Staff Report is appreciated. [Why do we say “God bless you” after a sneeze?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mgesundheit.html)