Gesundheit
Michael Rohde
Hi!
Once upon a time .... all right, yesterday I saw "The Flintstones" on TV,
Fred sneezed and I heard that Barny said something like "Gesundheit".
Well, "Gesundheit" is a German word, did I hear wrong or is this one of the
words like "Kindergarten" which is adapted from German language?
If not, what's the right word to be polite if somebody had sneezed!?
In relation to the German word "Gesundheit" I would guess for "healthy" ;-)
Bye,
Michael
GT
"Gesundheit" literally means "health" in German, with the translation "Bless
you !". Its use appears to be restricted to America (as well as the
German-speaking world, of course !).
Michael Rohde wrote in message ...
N.Mitchum
Michael Rohde wrote:
-----
> Fred sneezed and I heard that Barny said something like "Gesundheit".
>
> Well, "Gesundheit" is a German word, did I hear wrong or is this one of the
> words like "Kindergarten" which is adapted from German language?
>
> If not, what's the right word to be polite if somebody had sneezed!?
"Gesundheit!" is a common American response to another's sneeze,
or at least it used to be -- perhaps kids no longer learn this
word. Even more common is "Bless you!"
--- NM
Mailed copies of replies always appreciated. (Mailers: drop HINTS.)
Marcus Farnsworth
Michael Rohde wrote:
> Hi!
>
> Once upon a time .... all right, yesterday I saw "The Flintstones" on TV,
> Fred sneezed and I heard that Barny said something like "Gesundheit".
>
You heard correctly.
> Well, "Gesundheit" is a German word, did I hear wrong or is this one of the
> words like "Kindergarten" which is adapted from German language?
>
My dictionary dates the first appearance of "Gesundheit" in English to 1914.
> If not, what's the right word to be polite if somebody had sneezed!?
>
I try to avoid saying anything since a sneeze rarely requires any response. If
pressed by repeated sneezing, I might say "Bless you!", or "Gesundheit!"
> In relation to the German word "Gesundheit" I would guess for "healthy" ;-)
>
or "to your health".
By the way, what does one say in German in response to a sneeze?
Best regards,
Tom
Gary Williams, Business Services Accounting
In article <34D78E72...@englandmail.com>, Marcus Farnsworth
<farns...@englandmail.com> writes:
>Michael Rohde wrote:
>
>> Hi!
>>
>> Once upon a time .... all right, yesterday I saw "The Flintstones" on TV,
>> Fred sneezed and I heard that Barny said something like "Gesundheit".
>>
>
>You heard correctly.
>
>> Well, "Gesundheit" is a German word, did I hear wrong or is this one of the
>> words like "Kindergarten" which is adapted from German language?
>>
>
>My dictionary dates the first appearance of "Gesundheit" in English to 1914.
>
>> If not, what's the right word to be polite if somebody had sneezed!?
The only alternative I am aware of is "Bless you" (which used to be "God bless
you").
Then, of course, there was the legendary American tourist who, while riding a
bus in Munich, sneezed, and upon hearing his neighbor say, "Gesundheit",
responded, "Oh, good; you speak English."
Gary Williams
WILL...@AHECAS.AHEC.EDU
j.a....@worldnet.att.net
GT wrote:
>
> "Gesundheit" literally means "health" in German, with the translation "Bless
> you !". Its use appears to be restricted to America (as well as the
> German-speaking world, of course !).
>
And in Spanish an appropriate expression upon a sneeze is "salud!" --
with the same meaning -- I wonder, in how many languages is it popular
to call out "health!" when someone sneezes?
-- Jack McKay
Washington, DC
Earle Jones
In article <GoldED.199802032...@cww.de>, m.r...@cww.de
(Michael Rohde) wrote:
>Hi!
>
>Once upon a time .... all right, yesterday I saw "The Flintstones" on TV,
>Fred sneezed and I heard that Barny said something like "Gesundheit".
--
Helmut Gees and Horace Heidt were two German comedians who appeared in
American vaudeville from about 1920 to 1942 (when the war forced German
stage figures underground.)
They were famous for their raucous German accents, coughing and sneezing
and spitting out their heavily accented English jokes.
Gees and Heidt (or Gees und Heit, as they came to be known) were very
popular with the German/American communities in Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, etc.
Around 1945, it became popular, when someone sneezed, to remark, "Gees und
Heit!" -- later shortened to "Gesundheit!"
And so it is today.
Ref: Jour. Ger. Cult, Smith-Slattery, v. 1.4 c. 08.3 bb., 7/61.
earle
--
__
__/\_\
/\_\/_/
\/_/\_\ earle
\/_/ jones
We want our Internet back! Get rid of Spam.
See http://www.cauce.org
Earle Jones
In article <slrn6dfmmf...@amanda.dorsai.org>, lip...@dorsai.org
(Robert Lipton) wrote:
>In article <GoldED.199802032...@cww.de>, Michael Rohde wrote:
>>Hi!
>>
>>Once upon a time .... all right, yesterday I saw "The Flintstones" on TV,
>>Fred sneezed and I heard that Barny said something like "Gesundheit".
>>
>>Well, "Gesundheit" is a German word, did I hear wrong or is this one of the
>>words like "Kindergarten" which is adapted from German language?
>>
>>If not, what's the right word to be polite if somebody had sneezed!?
--
If a German friend sneezes, instead of saying, "Gesundheit!", which is
trite and common, you might want to say something like, "Krankheit", in
honor of Walter Krankheit, who was greatly admired by German/Americans.
Please try it next time.
Robert Lipton
In article <GoldED.199802032...@cww.de>, Michael Rohde wrote:
>Hi!
>
>Once upon a time .... all right, yesterday I saw "The Flintstones" on TV,
>Fred sneezed and I heard that Barny said something like "Gesundheit".
>
>Well, "Gesundheit" is a German word, did I hear wrong or is this one of the
>words like "Kindergarten" which is adapted from German language?
>
>If not, what's the right word to be polite if somebody had sneezed!?
>
"Gesundheit" or "Bless you" is correct in the Northeastern US. Lots of
German influence around here.
Bob
Berthil S. Moraal
j.a....@worldnet.att.net sniffered in article
<6b8fq0$p...@bgtnsc03.worldnet.att.net>...
In Dutch it's customary to say: "Gezondheid!" = Gesundheit =
health.
Hatsjie! Snif snif... Berthil
--
Berthil Moraal
Geulstraat 56
1823 VG Alkmaar dlw...@multiweb.nl (private)
The Netherlands bsmo...@freemail.nl
072 - 5152188 Berthi...@dlw.nl (work)
--
Michael Mc Mahon
Marcus Farnsworth wrote:
>
> Michael Rohde wrote:
>
> > Hi!
> >
> > Once upon a time .... all right, yesterday I saw "The Flintstones" on TV,
> > Fred sneezed and I heard that Barny said something like "Gesundheit".
> >
>
>
> > Well, "Gesundheit" is a German word, did I hear wrong or is this one of the
> > words like "Kindergarten" which is adapted from German language?
> >
>
>
> >
>
> pressed by repeated sneezing, I might say "Bless you!", or "Gesundheit!"
>
> >
>
> By the way, what does one say in German in response to a sneeze?
>
"Gesundheit" or "zum Wohl" are what I have heard. I also
found that it's considered polite to always acknowledge
a sneeze in Germany. You need to be really dying here in Ireland
before anyone says something.
Michael Mc Mahon.
Mike Barnes
In alt.usage.english, GT <gry...@globalnet.co.uk> spake thuswise:
>"Gesundheit" literally means "health" in German, with the translation "Bless
>you !". Its use appears to be restricted to America (as well as the
>German-speaking world, of course !).
It is common in Britain, which was not, when I last listened, "German-
speaking". It's in my (British) English dictionary.
--
-- Mike Barnes, Stockport, England.
-- If you post a response to Usenet, please *don't* send me a copy by e-mail.
SLHinton17
I think it's pretty widespread. There was an old belief in much of Europe that
the Devil could gain entry into a body during a sneeze. In earl.y Christian
times, the sign of the cross was made when someone sneexed, buit the Church
later frowned on this. In some cultures it has been believed that the Devil
was trying to get OUT of a body during a sneeze, and appropriate words of
encouragement uttered by bystanders, and among the Greeks sneezing was a
favorable omen from the gods. Practically every cultuyre has some beliefs
regarding a connection between spirits and sneezing.
Sam Hinton
La Jolla, CA
Mike Barnes
In alt.usage.english, Michael Mc Mahon <michael...@Sun.COM> spake
thuswise:
>"Gesundheit" or "zum Wohl" are what I have heard. I also
>found that it's considered polite to always acknowledge
>a sneeze in Germany. You need to be really dying here in Ireland
>before anyone says something.
It's OK to say "Bless me!" if no-one else "Bless you!"s you.
Patrick Kling
>By the way, what does one say in German in response to a sneeze?
"Gesundheit". The "sneezer" usually replies "danke" (thank you).
Regards,
Patrick
--
mailto:pkl...@gmx.de
Maria Conlon
Earle Jones wrote in message ...
>--
>Helmut Gees and Horace Heidt were two German comedians who appeared in
>American vaudeville from about 1920 to 1942 (when the war forced German
>stage figures underground.)
>
>They were famous for their raucous German accents, coughing and sneezing
>and spitting out their heavily accented English jokes.
>
>Gees and Heidt (or Gees und Heit, as they came to be known) were very
>popular with the German/American communities in Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, etc.
>
>Around 1945, it became popular, when someone sneezed, to remark, "Gees und
>Heit!" -- later shortened to "Gesundheit!"
>
>And so it is today.
>
>Ref: Jour. Ger. Cult, Smith-Slattery, v. 1.4 c. 08.3 bb., 7/61.
>
You left out some interesting facts, Earle. Surely you know that Horace was
famous in his own right as a band leader in the better beer halls of the
Midwest. And his brother Ferand was a scientist of some note. Helmut B(runo)
Gees, of course, was the inspiration for the name of a well-known musical
group.
Isn't etymology just jam-packed with little surprises?
Maria Conlon
Avi Jacobson
In article <ejones-ya0236800...@news.wco.com>,
ejo...@wco.com (Earle Jones) wrote:
> If a German friend sneezes, instead of saying, "Gesundheit!", which is
> trite and common, you might want to say something like, "Krankheit", in
> honor of Walter Krankheit, who was greatly admired by German/Americans.
>
> Please try it next time.
This reminds me of an absolutely true tale regarding a prank once pulled
by my father, who was a high school Biology teacher at the time. He had
a long-standing habit, when someone sneezed, of responding with the
Yiddish "[verd] tzu zetzt!", literally "have a stroke!", or "[verd] tzu
harget!", literally, "get killed!" He was almost invariably questioned on
this, and always straight-facedly insisted that it was a polite Yiddish
phrase meaning "God bless you."
I distinctly remember, as a child, being awakened early on a Sunday
morning by a loud argument between my father and one of his (non-Jewish)
pupils, who had shown up at our home. It seems the pupil had been
forcibly removed from the home of his wealthy Jewish girlfriend during
dinner, after the girl's grandmother had sneezed and the young man had
responded in absolute good faith with a resounding "tzu zetzt!"
By the way, this is the perfect opportunity for me to point out that I
was always told as I child that "Gesundheit" was Yiddish -- which, in
fact, it is, notwithstanding the fact that it is also German.
And another _a propos_: After a few days visiting in the Netherlands,
where an appropriate toast before drinking is "op uw Gesondheid" ("to
your health" -- I hope I've got that I right), my father began to use his
own Anglicized verison of the expression amongst English speakers, to
great effect: "Up your Gesundheit!"
--
Avi Jacobson, email: Avi.Ja...@pbdir.com | When an idea is
or: Av...@amdocs.com | wanting, a word
| can always be found
Opinions are those of the poster, =NOT= of | to take its place.
Amdocs, Inc. or Pacific Bell Directory. | -- Goethe
-------------------==== Posted via Deja News ====-----------------------
http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Post to Usenet
Greg Howard
ejo...@wco.com wrote:
> Helmut Gees and Horace Heidt were two German comedians who appeared in
> American vaudeville from about 1920 to 1942 (when the war forced German
> stage figures underground.)
Yeah, take it over to alt.folklore.urban, buddy. No fair trolling with
made-up urban legends in aue.
greg
Michael Rohde
Hello Marcus.
03 Feb 98 13:39, Marcus Farnsworth wrote to Michael Rohde:
>> Once upon a time .... all right, yesterday I saw "The Flintstones"
>> on TV, Fred sneezed and I heard that Barny said something like
>> "Gesundheit".
MF> You heard correctly.
MF> By the way, what does one say in German in response to a sneeze?
Gesundheit!
That's why I was a little confused - in an English speaking cartoon Barny
said "Gesundheit" in response of Fred's sneeze.
That's cool ;-)
Michael
Michael Rohde
Hello SLHinton17.
04 Feb 98 14:29, SLHinton17 wrote to All:
S> I think it's pretty widespread. There was an old belief in much of
S> Europe that the Devil could gain entry into a body during a sneeze.
S> In earl.y Christian times, the sign of the cross was made when someone
S> sneexed, buit the Church later frowned on this. In some cultures it
S> has been believed that the Devil was trying to get OUT of a body
S> during a sneeze, and appropriate words of encouragement uttered by
S> bystanders, and among the Greeks sneezing was a favorable omen from
S> the gods. Practically every cultuyre has some beliefs regarding a
S> connection between spirits and sneezing. Sam Hinton La Jolla, CA
And I thought sneezing is just a way to get off the virus and germs.
How could I be SO wrong all the time?!? ;-)))
Michael
Truly Donovan
>Yeah, take it over to alt.folklore.urban, buddy. No fair trolling with
>made-up urban legends in aue.
Good grief! That's our favorite sport and you want us to take it to
AFU, where they will beat us bloody about the head and ears with them?
Sorry, but that just won't do. Here, we consider them "neo-folk
etymologies" and they are, when exquisitely executed, highly admired
hereabouts. In order to encourage their exquisite execution, we
indulgently tolerate the not-so-hot ones, as well.
--
Truly Donovan
reply to truly at lunemere dot com
Alec Owen
Gary Williams, Business Services Accounting wrote:
>
> In article <34D78E72...@englandmail.com>, Marcus Farnsworth
> <farns...@englandmail.com> writes:
>
> >Michael Rohde wrote:
> >
> >> Hi!
> >>
> >> Fred sneezed and I heard that Barny said something like "Gesundheit".
> >>
> >
> >
> >> Well, "Gesundheit" is a German word, did I hear wrong or is this one of the
> >> words like "Kindergarten" which is adapted from German language?
> >>
> >
> >My dictionary dates the first appearance of "Gesundheit" in English to 1914.
> >
> >> If not, what's the right word to be polite if somebody had sneezed!?
>
> you").
>
> Then, of course, there was the legendary American tourist who, while riding a
> bus in Munich, sneezed, and upon hearing his neighbor say, "Gesundheit",
> responded, "Oh, good; you speak English."
>
> Gary Williams
> WILL...@AHECAS.AHEC.EDU
(fr) also sounds like a sneeze. I am allergic to certain smells and
often sneeze. Why do people laugh, when I sneeze? I have always found
this strange.
Alec Owen
Toronto
nickey davies
Alec Owen wrote:
> I like "Bless you" because it sounds like a sneeze. "A tes soins"
> (fr) also sounds like a sneeze.
So does the 'Jesus' used in Spain.
--
Nickey
London, England
Rob Bannister
j.a....@worldnet.att.net wrote:
> GT wrote:
> >
> > "Gesundheit" literally means "health" in German, with the translation "Bless
> > you !". Its use appears to be restricted to America (as well as the
> > German-speaking world, of course !).
> >
>
> And in Spanish an appropriate expression upon a sneeze is "salud!" --
> with the same meaning -- I wonder, in how many languages is it popular
> to call out "health!" when someone sneezes?
>
In French, they say, "à tes souhaits" - something like "to your wishes" - I
find it quite weird and wish they would say "santé", but they won't.
--
RobB
Alan Pollock
Rob Bannister (rob...@it.net.au) wrote:
:
:
:
They never do what you want them to unless they want it too. Nex
------------------------------------------------------------------
"Ah, if in this world there were no such thing as cherry blossoms,
perhaps then in spring time our hearts would be at peace."
Ariwara no Narihira
------------------------------------------------------------------
Nikos Sarantakos
On Sun, 15 Feb 1998 09:21:02 +0800, Rob Bannister <rob...@it.net.au>
wrote:
>
>
>j.a....@worldnet.att.net wrote:
>
>> GT wrote:
>> >
>> > "Gesundheit" literally means "health" in German, with the translation "Bless
>> > you !". Its use appears to be restricted to America (as well as the
>> > German-speaking world, of course !).
>> >
>>
>> And in Spanish an appropriate expression upon a sneeze is "salud!" --
>> with the same meaning -- I wonder, in how many languages is it popular
>> to call out "health!" when someone sneezes?
>>
>
> In French, they say, "à tes souhaits" - something like "to your wishes" - I
>find it quite weird and wish they would say "santé", but they won't.
>--
>RobB
And in Greek we say 'Ygeia" which is the exact equivalent of the
Spanish and the German
Nikos
>
>
Reinhold Aman
P&DSchultz wrote:
>
> > > GT wrote:
> > > > "Gesundheit" literally means "health" in German, ...
>
> But that's only a coincidence. In Germany, "Gesundheit!" is
> actually the exact sound produced by the sneeze itself.
> //P. Schultz
Gotta disappoint you: the actual sound is _Hatschi!_, pronounced "huh
TSHEE".
--
Reinhold Aman
Santa Rosa, CA 95402-6123, USA
http://www.sonic.net/maledicta/
P&DSchultz
N.Mitchum
P&DSchultz wrote :
----
But half the German vocabulary sounds like a sneeze. It has
something to do with climate: pre-Germany Germans had a perfectly
mellifluous language, but then they all took the train west and
started hacking and sniffling into their language. It's all true.
You can look it up.
--- NM
Mailed copies of replies always appreciated. (Mailers: drop HINTS.)
Maria Conlon
Reinhold Aman wrote in message <34E7E2...@sonic.net>...
>P&DSchultz wrote:
>>
>> > > GT wrote:
>> > > > "Gesundheit" literally means "health" in German, ...
>>
>> But that's only a coincidence. In Germany, "Gesundheit!" is
>> actually the exact sound produced by the sneeze itself.
>> //P. Schultz
>
> Gotta disappoint you: the actual sound is _Hatschi!_, pronounced "huh
>TSHEE".
>
>Reinhold Aman
Jeezopete, you guys really sneeze funny. My sneeze is Hah-CHOO.
My husband's, on the other hand, is unspellable. It starts out with hah,
Hah, HAh, HAAAH, (undecipherable explosion of sound) and then
Duh-duh-duh-duh-duh, real fast. Gesundeit and Hatschi can't touch it.
It's the most interesting sneeze I've ever heard. It's easily worth three
Gesundheits and a couple of Bless You's.
Maria Conlon
John Davies
In article <6caihc$4rj$1...@juliana.sprynet.com>, Maria Conlon
<mcon...@sprynet.com> writes
>Jeezopete, you guys really sneeze funny. My sneeze is Hah-CHOO.
>
>My husband's, on the other hand, is unspellable. It starts out with hah,
>Hah, HAh, HAAAH, (undecipherable explosion of sound) and then
>Duh-duh-duh-duh-duh, real fast. Gesundeit and Hatschi can't touch it.
>
>It's the most interesting sneeze I've ever heard. It's easily worth three
>Gesundheits and a couple of Bless You's.
How sweet. You are clearly still very much in love. When I sneeze, my
wife says: "Do you *have* to make so much bloody noise?"
--
John Davies (jo...@redwoods.demon.co.uk)
Truly Donovan
>When I sneeze, my
>wife says: "Do you *have* to make so much bloody noise?"
When I sneeze, my westie, usually asleep in the room across the hall,
gets up and comes in and requires that I pick her up and hold her for
a few minutes and scratch her head. I believe she considers this as
nurturing my delicate constitution.
Mere coughing I can handle on my own, apparently.
John Davies
In article <34eabcb0...@news3.ibm.net>, Truly Donovan
<tru...@ibm.net> writes
>When I sneeze, my westie, usually asleep in the room across the hall,
>gets up and comes in and requires that I pick her up and hold her for
>a few minutes and scratch her head. I believe she considers this as
>nurturing my delicate constitution.
Maybe she interprets your sneeze as the leader of the pack howling to
summon the other animals to her aid. I'd guess, I don't quite know
why, that you're a pretty dramatic sneezer.
--
John Davies (jo...@redwoods.demon.co.uk)
Michael Rohde
Hello Reinhold.
15 Feb 98 22:55, Reinhold Aman wrote to All:
>> But that's only a coincidence. In Germany, "Gesundheit!" is
>> actually the exact sound produced by the sneeze itself.
>> //P. Schultz
RA> Gotta disappoint you: the actual sound is _Hatschi!_, pronounced "huh
RA> TSHEE".
Or "whoooooaaaaa shaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" - but the you'll need a handkerchief to
wipe up all the slime from your monitor ;-)))
Michael
Chris J. Gull
Michael Rohde schrieb in Nachricht ...
Now my wife doesn't sneeze in any of these ways. I apt to say that she is
rather egoistic in as much as she sneezes a word "Ich" (or "I") many times
over.
Apart from that, I must correct Mr (or Doctor) Aman by telling him that
German speaking people wish a "sneezed" person Gesundheit, this meaning
nothing more than "good health". Very similar to the English reason for
wishing a sneezer blessed.
BTW I always have a "wet wipe" handy to clean my Monitor.
Chris J. Gull
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Volkswagen Autostadt,
Wolfsburg, (West) Germany.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
gu...@wolfsburg.de
Reinhold Aman
Chris J. Gull wrote:
>
> Michael Rohde schrieb in Nachricht ...
> >Hello Reinhold.
> >
> >15 Feb 98 22:55, Reinhold Aman wrote to All:
> >
> > >> But that's only a coincidence. In Germany, "Gesundheit!" is
> > >> actually the exact sound produced by the sneeze itself.
> > >> //P. Schultz
> >
> > RA> Gotta disappoint you: the actual sound is _Hatschi!_, pronounced "huh
> > RA> TSHEE".
> >
> >Or "whoooooaaaaa shaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" - but the you'll need a handkerchief to
> >wipe up all the slime from your monitor ;-)))
> >
> >
> >Michael
> >
> Now my wife doesn't sneeze in any of these ways. I apt to say that she is
> rather egoistic in as much as she sneezes a word "Ich" (or "I") many times
> over.
>
> Apart from that, I must correct Mr (or Doctor) Aman by telling him that
> German speaking people wish a "sneezed" person Gesundheit, this meaning
> nothing more than "good health". Very similar to the English reason for
> wishing a sneezer blessed.
You must have confused me with someone else. I only showed the German
equivalent _Hatschi!_ for the English "achoo!" (Are there other
spellings?)