a response to someone sneezing the second time

[GeneD]

When someone sneezes, you say "Bless you", then the one who sneezed thanks you. If they sneeze again, what would you do? Would you say "bless you" again, something else (the way we do in Russian), or wouldn't you say anything?

Also, I was surprised to learn that there is another way to bless a sneezer: to say "Gesundheit", which maybe should be capitalised since it's German. Is it common to say this?

Are there any other analogues of "Bless you" and "Gesundheit"?

 

[emsr2d2]

When someone sneezes, you say "Bless you", then [STRIKE]when[/STRIKE] the one who sneezed thanks you. [STRIKE]and[/STRIKE] If they sneeze again, what would you do? Would you say "Bless you" again, something else (the way we do in Russian), or wouldn't you say anything?

Also, I was surprised to learn that there is another way to bless a sneezer: to say "Gesundheit", which maybe should be capitalised since it's German. Is it common to say this?

Are there any other analogues of "Bless you" and "Gesundheit"?

If someone sneezes once, we say "Bless you". The sneezer sometimes says "Thanks". If they sneeze again, we say "Bless you again!"

"Gesundheit" is quite common though I'd go so far as to say that quite a lot of people who say it don't know it's German and couldn't spell it! They're just repeating something they've heard from others.

Note that I capitalised "Bless you" and "Gesundheit". That has nothing to do with the language they're in - it's because we capitalise the first word of a sentence, including when that entire sentence is in quotes.

 

[jutfrank]

Twice a kiss.

(Once a wish, twice a kiss.)

 

[J&K Tutoring]

1. "Did 'ya get any on 'ya?" :lol:

2. optional: "(It) Sounds a lot better since you got it fixed!"

3. Third sneeze: "All right, now I know you're faking!"

 

[Skrej]

Are you allergic to me, or yourself?

 

[GoesStation]

Seriously though, there is no widely-used convention for responding to a second or subsequent sneeze in American English. Does Russian use the same formula as French?

Sneeze #1: Best wishes! [loosely translated. Literally "To your desires!"]
Sneeze #2: To your loves!

 

[GeneD]

Seriously though, there is no widely-used convention for responding to a second or subsequent sneeze in American English. Does Russian use the same formula as French?

Sneeze #1: Best wishes! [loosely translated. Literally "To your desires!"]
Sneeze #2: To your loves!

I would say that the first part of the formula is closer to the German one. I don't know to which languages the second part of it may be closer, though. Here it is:
Sneeze #1: Be (or stay) healthy. (It's similar to the German "Gesundheit" which means "health".)
Sneeze #2: Grow big if translated literally. I'm not sure this translation makes sense to you though. If not, I can try to rephrase it.

 

[GeneD]

"Did 'ya get any on 'ya?" :lol:

optional: "(It) Sounds a lot better since you got it fixed!"

Third sneeze: "All right, now I know you're faking!"

Your post reminded me of the old good time when being a child I laughed with the adults not having a faintest idea what the joke we were laughing at was about. Well, this time I restrained myself. :-D Maybe there will be a day when I will understand such jokes by native speakers' as those...

 

[J&K Tutoring]

Underlying any and all verbal responses to sneeze(s)- in any language- is the fact that nothing we say can be of any real help, so we may as well have a little fun with the situation, and perhaps make the sneezer a bit less self-conscious. Probably no one would say anything to a complete stranger, so all of my responses are things I might say (and have said) to a friend. I have edited my post to number my responses and make these explanations clearer.

1. Plays upon the fact that sometimes some phlegm is discharged by a particularly violent sneeze. Makes a joke out of what can be a rather disgusting but sometimes unavoidable situation.

2. Relates to getting ones car fixed when it is making strange noises.

3. A lighthearted treatment of what is obviously an uncontrollable bodily function.