Should we say sorry or excuse me after sneezing?

Should we say sorry or excuse me after sneezing?

“excuse me” is the proper response. “sorry”implies you did something wrong. “excuse me” is just a ritual politeness asking someone not to bothered by your sneeze.

Why do I say sorry instead of Excuse me?

“Excuse me” is asking for permission. “Sorry” is asking for forgiveness. You say “excuse me” before doing something that might inconvenience someone. You say “sorry” after having inconvenienced someone.

Why do they say excuse me?

You say ‘Excuse me’ when you want to politely get someone’s attention, especially when you are about to ask them a question.

What do we say after we sneeze?

bless you
Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. In English-speaking countries, the common verbal response to another person’s sneeze is “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).

Why do people apologize for sneezing?

Wishing someone well after they sneeze probably originated thousands of years ago. According to the ancient superstitions, a sneeze causes the soul to escape the body through the nose. Saying “bless you” would stop the devil from claiming the person’s freed soul.

Is sorry the same as I apologize?

Sorry only acknowledges one’s own person feelings about a mistake. However, apology also indicates that the one is taking responsibility for the fault or mistake. In addition, apology is more formal than sorry. For example, you don’t usually express apology to your friends; you simply say sorry.

Is it polite to say excuse you?

It definitely implies that it was your, i.e., the non-speaker’s, fault. If you do something rude and minor (like burp, or accidentally bump into someone, etc), you say “Excuse me” to apologize. Some people rudely say “excuse you” to someone they feel needs to apologize for being rude.

Why say bless you after a sneeze?

One of the symptoms of the plague was coughing and sneezing, and it is believed that Pope Gregory I (Gregory the Great) suggested saying “God bless you” after a person sneezed in hopes that this prayer would protect them from an otherwise certain death. The expression may have also originated from superstition.

Is it OK to say God bless you?

If you say “God Bless you” to mean “Thank you so much”, that’s fine. It’s how you express appreciation. I did something nice for you so you hope God will do something nice for me.