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General Discussion & Feedback => Just Chat! => Topic started by: Ben Aldhouse on 08/09/2007 14:07:45

Title: Godless talk
Post by: Ben Aldhouse on 08/09/2007 14:07:45
I work at a till and have people sneeze and cough over me fairly regularly. I like to show empathy with their ailment- usually as I stretch myself as far away as I possibly can from them to avoid catching whatever it is that they are spraying me with. However, since I am an atheist, I feel like saying 'Bless you' is a hollow sentiment. I was wondering if anyone had any good alternatives... I have considered the following:

'My condolences on your nasal/respiratory irritation'

but it seems a bit long winded. I could shorten it to the accronyms 'M'coyni' or 'M'coyri' depending on whether it was a cough or a sneeze but people wouldn't know what I was on about.

I wouldn't go as far as wishing someone a 'Happy Winterval' instead of 'Happy Christmas' though.

Anyone got any more ideas for godless talk?
Title: Godless talk
Post by: Karen W. on 08/09/2007 14:42:43
Hope you feel better soon!

Keep a box of kleenex handy and offer it up by saying,..Kleenex??? holding it out, with a big smile!

Title: Godless talk
Post by: Karen W. on 08/09/2007 14:43:28
Or hold it out and say Oh My, wish you well or better!
Title: Godless talk
Post by: another_someone on 08/09/2007 18:31:04
I assume you never say "good bye" - which is a corruption of "God Be With Ye"?
Title: Godless talk
Post by: Ben Aldhouse on 08/09/2007 20:32:14
I probably just say ''bye' most of the time. A bit unsatisfactory from an atheist point of view, I know.
Title: Godless talk
Post by: Ben Aldhouse on 09/09/2007 00:34:42
Quote from: Karen W. on 08/09/2007 14:42:43
Hope you feel better soon!

Keep a box of kleenex handy and offer it up by saying,..Kleenex??? holding it out, with a big smile!



Ha! I'd have to have a shed load of tissues under my till at this time of year!
Title: Godless talk
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 09/09/2007 08:53:34
I was walking through town 1 day when a chap standing outside a shop sneezed. I automatically said "Bless you". I felt a wee bit silly when I realised he was selling magazines called "Big Issue" and had merely called out the title!  [:I]
Title: Godless talk
Post by: rosy on 09/09/2007 15:00:10
The French say "A tes souhaits" which, besides being a friendly "To your wishes" has a pleasingly onomatapaeic (sp??) ring to it.
Not a lot of help to an English speaker, but quite fun ;)
Title: Godless talk
Post by: eric l on 09/09/2007 15:21:35
In German, the answer to a sneeze is "Gesundheit", which simply means "Health" (or "Good health").  Around here, elderly people are still bound to use the equivallent for "bless you" or "God bless you", while younger people prefer the equivalent to "Health".
Title: Godless talk
Post by: Nobody's Confidant on 10/09/2007 17:51:46
Hey, i was gonna say Gesundeit!

Title: Godless talk
Post by: Ben Aldhouse on 10/09/2007 18:24:39
I like Gesundeit. I'm not sure I could pronounce "A tes souhaits". I'd probabably sound like I was sneezing back at the customer!

Anyone know Welsh, Spanish, Hindi, Mandarin, Polish, Russian versions? I'd never remember them but I'd be interested.
Title: Godless talk
Post by: eric l on 12/09/2007 12:21:43
I've been asking around a bit.  Apparently, in many languages the answer to a sneeze is the same as what people say when drinking each other's health :
There may be more to come.
Title: Godless talk
Post by: Ben Aldhouse on 12/09/2007 22:05:00
Thanks, although I'm not up to speed with cyrillic so I can't make any guesses as to what the Russian one sounds like.

As far as saying 'Goodbye' goes... Do you think people generally think 'God be with you' when they say it? If not, then hopefully the meaning has shifted enough for it to be a meaningful thing for an atheist to say? (I tried 'Cheers' a few times today. I thought about 'Good day' but felt that I could only really get away with saying that if I had some old style hat to doff as I said it).

I don't suppose that many people really think that they are invoking the healing power of a supernatural being when they say 'bless you', either. However, I think the words (possibly because they are uncorrupted) are more evocative of religion, priests making the sign of the cross etc. etc.