[dotancohen]

  > a term that always bothered me given how the world is round

Historical quirks of language are everywhere. Atheists still say Good Bye (God by with you) when they part, and say Bless You when you sneeze.

[sneak]

I have substituted "gesundheit" ("health") for "bless you" for this very reason.

[herewulf]

Likewise. It's pretty amazing how widespread a German word such as this managed to become.

[unsupp0rted]

At some point gesundheit made it into the zeitgeist and I feel schadenfreude for the people who said it wouldn't.

[Lio]

Well if any German word isn't kaputt we should definitely borrow it into English.

[dotancohen]

Why not simply say "Health" then? How is cultural assimilation any better than a phrase that has not had religious connotations for a century and a half?

[thombat]

Sounds like a shortened "Your health!" which as a toast should be accompanied by all present having a charged glass in their hand.