Gesundheit

This means bless you, or really health. So when you sneeze this is the word. Only, you cannot even cough in this country without everybody around you have to say "Gesundheit!"

Have observed this on numerous occasions, and it really has begun to annoy me. When you attend a meeting or similar, and somebody sneezes, everything stops until everybody else has said the word. I mean really. It's of course nice to wish good health or bless you, but it's kinda late when you do it after the sneeze. Mind you, it would be difficult to do it before I guess.

It's just that it's only a word. Nobody actually means anything by it. Like the English say "how are you?", not expecting an answer. Have you ever tried telling an Englishman your medical history after the "how are you?" question? It's funny I tell you :) "You know, well today I feel better, but yesterday was really bad. Had this cold and and and...". That'll throw them off :)

And what worse is, you're supposed to say Danke (thank you) after all the Gesundheits! Imagine how funny it is when somebody has a sneezing fit :) and cannot stop. Lotsa Gesundheits and Dankes flying around (together with the germs I imagine).