"Bless you"

[Randy Winkman]

I work in an office when people tend to say this after someone has sneezed. I don't but if I'm the only one around I feel a bit self conscious about not doing it. In most ways I generally go in for the friendly, polite workplace stuff. But not for saying "bless you" which I think is fundamentally silly.

[Puggit]

So you're not worried about catching the plague?

[southendpier]

...or the demons you just sneezed out re entering your nose?

[GOATever]

It’s rooted in ancient history. The peasants believed that when you sneezed, you were a) dying, b) vulnerable to demonic possession. So they covered all eventualities by saying “bless you” when someone sneezed.

[227bhp]

Shout GESUNDHEIT! then give a Nazi salute, that should liven things up a bit.

[LordGrover]

I prefer to ring a bell and shout "Unclean!".

[Randy Winkman]

227bhp said:

Shout GESUNDHEIT! then give a Nazi salute, that should liven things up a bit.

Like on Malcolm in the Middle. Though they didn't do the salute.

[Mike335i]

Why worry about it? Either day bless you or don't. The original meaning behind it is no longer relevant, it is just a courtesy that is now extended to the sneezer.

A sort of strange acknowledgement of the sneeze and a positive wish for that person to not sneeze anymore.

[red_slr]

LordGrover said:

I prefer to ring a bell and shout "Unclean!".

[anonymous-user]

To me it’s just like ‘please’ and ‘thank you’, a simple courtesy to others.

[Butter Face]

Or say ‘excuse you’ or something similar.

[Monkeylegend]

I love sneezing, there is nothing more frustrating than an aborted sneeze.

[Toyoda]

What's a lot more annoying is when women say "bless" when another woman says something sad/happy/heartwarming etc

[C0ffin D0dger]

I know it's rooted in ancient / plague ridden times but we shouldn't let these old traditions die out.

[GOATever]

LordGrover said:

I prefer to ring a bell and shout "Unclean!".

I’ll only do that when I ‘follow through’.

[GetCarter]

The thing is 'Bless you' was supposed to invoke God's help to stop the Bubonic Plague by a bunch of idiots that thought prayer would help stopping the spread of the disease.

Superstitious nonsense.

But hey, I wouldn't want to cast the first stone

[Megaflow]

I like to wipe the side of my head the person who sneezed is in the direction of, the then say something like “ewwww”.

Childish, but makes me laugh.

[Randy Winkman]

Monkeylegend said:

I love sneezing, there is nothing more frustrating than an aborted sneeze.

Me too despite my aversion to the "bless you" that often follows.

My other thing about sneezing is my theory that no two people in the world sound the same when they sneeze. Everyone is unique in that respect.

[WinstonWolf]

Monkeylegend said:

I love sneezing, there is nothing more frustrating than an aborted sneeze.

I've had a lot of ear surgery, you have to sneeze with your mouth open for six weeks post surgery so you don't blow your eardrum off

[Puggit]

Randy Winkman said:

Monkeylegend said:

I love sneezing, there is nothing more frustrating than an aborted sneeze.

Me too despite my aversion to the "bless you" that often follows.

My other thing about sneezing is my theory that no two people in the world sound the same when they sneeze. Everyone is unique in that respect.

I suffer from sneezing fits. I can go for 20 or 30 sneezes quite easily. One of the triggers is going from shade to sunlight.

If each sneeze is 1/10th of an orgasm, you can understand why it's so dangerous when driving