Do UK people say bless you?

The ever-changing rainy weather in the UK means that catching a cold is nothing but a regular occurrence in Britain. You will have definitely heard someone sneeze while out and about. This would have no doubt been followed up by someone saying “bless you” to the sneeze. There is no need to stare strangely.

Why do Brits say bless you?

God bless you

This is what a Brit might say to you after you sneeze. They might even pass you a hankie too, if you're lucky. Not to be confused with: 'Count your blessings', meaning that you should be grateful for what you have.

What does bless you mean in British slang?

(interjection) a. a traditional phrase said to a person who has just sneezed. b. an exclamation of well-wishing or surprise.

Is it weird to say bless you?

“Saying 'God bless you' following a sneeze is a common refrain, so common and taught from childhood that many people don't even think of it as a blessing, but rather as an utterance without specific meaning other than a response to a sneeze that is polite in some way,” said Dr.

What do the English say when someone sneezes?

EXPLANATION: When someone sneezes in the United States, more often than not someone else says “Bless you!” The phrase first originated as “God bless you.”

Why Do People Say Bless You When You Sneeze

Why shouldn't you say bless you?

Please stop acknowledging my bodily functions. "Bless you" is a phrase so reflexively spoken upon hearing a sneeze that many of us forgot or don't even know where it came from. It has obvious religious connotations but they're archaic and no longer make any sense in our modern-day world.

Do Japanese say bless you?

There's no such phrase equivalent to "bless you" in Japanese (2 people)

Why people say bless you?

The most popular theory is that it originated in Rome when the bubonic plague was ravaging Europe. Sneezing was one the plague's main symptoms, and it is believed that Pope Gregory I suggested that a tiny prayer in the form of saying, "God bless you" after a sneeze would protect the person from death.

What to say instead of bless you?

What does bless mean in the UK?

exclamation. /bles/ /bles/ (British English, sometimes humorous) ​used to show warm feelings for somebody because of something they have done.

When can you use bless you?

Definition of bless you

1 —used in speech to express thanks or good wishes "I'll be happy to help in any way I can." "Oh, bless you! That's very kind of you."

Is bless a religious term?

Definition of bless

1 religion : to hallow or consecrate by religious rite or word asked the priest to bless their marriage Bless this home. 2 religion : to hallow with the sign of the cross He blessed himself before liftoff.

What do the Irish say when someone sneezes?

In Irish formulaic fashion, the response to a second sneeze, or a first sneeze if it is especially strong, is “Dia linn, is Muire” (God and Mary bless us).

Is it correct to say may God bless you?

"May God bless you" is correct. It's a subjunctive form, actually, where the subjunctive is being used as a sort of third person imperative.

Is bless you an American thing?

In English-speaking countries, the common verbal response to another person's sneeze is "[God] bless you", or, less commonly in the United States and Canada, "Gesundheit", the German word for health (and the response to sneezing in German-speaking countries).

Do people say bless you in Asia?

In English-speaking countries, it is both common and polite to say “bless you” when someone else sneezes. Chinese speakers, on the other hand, don't often acknowledge other people's sneezes.

Is bless a bad word?

Strangely, both bless and curse are rather hard etymological riddles, though bless seems to pose less trouble, which makes sense: words live up to their meaning and history, and bless, as everybody will agree, has more pleasant connotations than curse.

What do Southerners mean when they say bless your heart?

"Bless your heart" is a phrase that is common in the Southern United States. The phrase has multiple meanings. It may be used to express genuine sympathy or as a precursor to an insult to soften the blow.

How do you respond when someone says your blessed?

Responding to “bless you,” you could say, “I don't need to be blessed” if you wanted to be rude, or if someone says, “have a blessed day,” you could say, “you have a good day too.” You could also say, “I don't believe in any religion, so I'm just going to say thank you.” If someone says, “I'll pray for you, I might say ...

How do you say bless you in German when someone sneezes?

German. Interestingly, Gesundheit, the German response to a sneeze, is also the most common expression for English speakers who prefer not to say “bless you.” It simply means “health,” which is used in a number of languages when someone sneezes (makes sense).

How do you give a blessing in English?

What do you say when someone coughs in English?

If you are the one who is coughing, after you are finished, you say things like, "I'm sorry," or "Excuse me." You might try to reassure the other person that you are not contagious by saying things like, "It's just allergies," or "I just had a tickle in my throat," or "Something must have gone down the wrong way."