I spent a lot of time by myself as a child. When I came out into the real world, one of the main things that I couldn't understand about the way that people talked was the fact that some people say,
How are you?
or How are you doing?
in response to my hello. I've looked up etymologies 'n such, but I cannot find anything that explains this weird response. I even figured out why Bill = William, but I can't figure out why people ask "how" anything is when they really just want to know what going on in your life.
My natural response to "How are you?" would be along the lines of, "How am I what? How am I, literally? Well, I am because I was born, I guess."
My natural response to "How are you doing?" would be, "How am I doing what?"
2007-02-25
06:35:52
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5 answers
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asked by
Anonymous