Happy Atheist Forum

i still sometimes find myself saying "Bless you"  when i'm only half thinking about it. I've never said "God bless you" when some one sneezes. Most of the time i try to say "excuse you" like you would when somebody burps or farts.

what do you guys say?

Gezundheit!

Hubby says Gezundheit (sp?).  I say "Gedneeonya" (get any on ya?) and let them try to figure out what I said.  Most assume it's a foreign language and just say "thanks."  LOL!

I say "Indeed" (Teal'c style) or nothing at all  

I say "Gesundheit" here in Germany or "gezondheid" when I'm back in the Netherlands.

I say Cantaloupe. Prevents the sneeze altogether.

"You're sooooo good looking."
                                 -Seinfeld

Quote from: "Sophus"I say Cantaloupe. Prevents the sneeze altogether.

wow i've never heard of that. I've been told that looking at light helps but its never worked for me.

Quote from: "Stoicheion"

Quote from: "Sophus"I say Cantaloupe. Prevents the sneeze altogether.

wow i've never heard of that. I've been told that looking at light helps but its never worked for me.

Looking into light actually causes some animals to sneeze. Autosomal dominant Compelling Helio-Ophthalmic Outburst syndrome. Happens in up to 35% of humans.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photic_sneeze_reflex (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photic_sneeze_reflex)

Looking at light usually works for me, but only when a sneeze is stuck. Of course I sneeze so much anyway it's sometimes hard to tell. Most of my sneezes come in 3s too atleast 90% of the time. My friends and family wait till the 3rd one is done before they say anything. Which is where I actually find the dificulty finding a response, I don't feel grateful for their blessing so I don't like to say thank you, but most people tend to get insulted. I also say nothing when another sneezes, which some people get insulted by as well. We don't bless people for burps, hicups, or farts and all those are equaly involuntary sounds. Most people don't realise that midevil people though you were being attacked by an evil spirt when you sneezed so they gave you gods blessings to help you fight it. That is a ridiculus idea even to theists so why continue to propagate a dark ages supersticion. Anyway thats my 2 cents even if it took a meadering route. (please forgive the typos I can see the mispelled words but when I rewrite them the still look wrong, My spelling, gramer, and hand writing haven't improved since grade shool anyway.)

I have that photic sneeze response, good to know lots of others do to.  Here I was starting to think I was just being rude and not squinting enough to keep all the light out of my eyes, or something.  Was starting to feel guilty for walking outside and deliberately aiming to sneeze and get it over with.  I wasn't anywhere near stopping, I'd go nuts, but at least there was some minor guilt for making a ruckus.   :)

I say 'bless you' because it is the term used for when someone sneezes. I don't associate that with god at all. That is someone elses misconception. For me, it has the same relevance to the bible as the word fag being a derogatory term for someone percieved as gay (where i come from a fag is a cigarette).

Quote from: "karadan"(where i come from a fag is a cigarette).

UK, eh?

Suppose you could call me a fag. I smoke like a steam locomotive  

I usually say, "Cover your f#$%ing mouth, for Christ's sake!" I can't afford to get sick, ya know?  

Quote from: "Asmodean"

Quote from: "karadan"(where i come from a fag is a cigarette).

UK, eh?

Suppose you could call me a fag. I smoke like a steam locomotive  :)

Quote from: "Stoicheion"what do you guys say?

*looks at the person annoyingly*....pick that up.

I don't usually say anything.  I might hand someone a kleenex (yes, I've stolen your copyrighted name for tissues, Kleenex company! hahahahhaha!) if one is available and they have something interesting hanging out of their nose.  I really don't get offended if someone tells me "Bless You"  or  "God Bless You".  I simply take it as a caring response translated to "I don't want you to get sick and die."   Now if they start telling me "Go to Hell you atheist bastard"  I might start being offended, or maybe laugh until even more stuff comes out of my nose.  I think if you worry too much about what to say instead of something involving God when people sneeze, or when you smash your finger or when you have an orgasm, then you are probably taking the whole anti-superstition atheist thing just a bit too far.

But in the spirit of scientific battles against viruses, I think after this thread I might start saying "Jonas Salk"  when someone sneezes.

Quote from: "rlrose328"Hubby says Gezundheit (sp?).  I say "Gedneeonya" (get any on ya?) and let them try to figure out what I said.  Most assume it's a foreign language and just say "thanks."  LOL!

Gezundheit is german, it means health. So it's a short wish of good health to the sneezer.

My native language is Dutch (akin to German) and I say "Gezondheid" which means the same.

I also noticed that the question in the OP is slightly off. It should probably be "What do you say as an atheist when somenone sneezes."
But I'm just nitpicking now  

Anyway :

Gezondheid!

Quote from: "bowmore"Gezundheit is german, it means health. So it's a short wish of good health to the sneezer.
My native language is Dutch (akin to German) and I say "Gezondheid" which means the same.

The same with danish, we have a related term.

Quote"What do you say as an atheist when somenone sneezes."

I think it's a problem of the english language, I might have a weird solution that could work because everybody within your cultural community will instantly understand: Danes have an alternative word we say when people sneeze. It's the name of the sneezing dwarf in Snowwhite. I don't know the name of him in english, but that might work?

Or just say nothing, it's all natural anyway... what do you say as an atheist to people who take a shit, for instance?

Quote from: "Zarathustra"Or just say nothing, it's all natural anyway... what do you say as an atheist to people who take a shit, for instance?

"Erm... I guess it was occupied then...   "

or perhaps

"Hey! Not in my living room, jerk!"

or even

"This not a public bathroom, this is the Trevi fountain."

Quote from: "bowmore""Hey! Not in my living room, jerk!"

Now, THAT was funny!!

I say "God bless you!" or "Gesundheit!". Maybe other people do it differently, but that's what I say.

QuoteDanes have an alternative word we say when people sneeze. It's the name of the sneezing dwarf in Snowwhite. I don't know the name of him in english, but that might work?

The english name for the sneezing dwarf in Snow White is....Sneezy. So that doesn't really work. Gezhundite is common in America also. Lots of german immagrants, another I hear is salude which is spanish for the same thing health, or good health.

Quote from: "Squid"

Quote from: "Stoicheion"what do you guys say?

*looks at the person annoyingly*....pick that up.

Quote from: "Stoicheion"what do you guys say?

Bless you!

Kyu

Quote from: "Asmodean"I say "Indeed" (Teal'c style) or nothing at all  

LMAO! I love it!

Quote from: "Martian"

Quote from: "Asmodean"I say "Indeed" (Teal'c style) or nothing at all  :D I just used to say "That's right" pre-SG1 (or rather, before I started watching SG1) so [Teal'c]Indeed[/Teal'c] seemed natural.

Dog bless you?

How about the PC approach. "May the god, gods, diety,or higher power should you chose to believe in one, bless you if it falls within your practices or custums, to recieve it from he,she, it, or them."

"Cover your mouth, diseases are spread by airborne pathogens."

That'll be two bahks. (spoken like a greasy mexican american immigrant)

Before you get upset, I am mexican, and that's why I do it. Sometimes it's fun to imitate stereotypes.