How Do You Respond to "How's It Going?"

Fair to middling.

ah grand, grand

I usually just say pretty good even it's a lie and things are shit because you're right, they don't really expect an answer.

What's stranger is that some people in England use "You alright?" as a greeting but don't expect an answer. This really confused me when I first moved there as I'd try to answer and realize that none was expected. I've never understood what that was about.

"Well. You?"

mariteyu?

"not too bad, what about you?"

"still livin the dream, man" (yeah i actually say this sometimes, i think i stole it from andy breckman)

suuuuuuuuup?

how does everybody respond to "whats up?" ?

Sometimes I screw up and say "How's it - going...good." in response to "how's it going?"

"What's goin' on, man?"

"Dude"

"Another day in paradise." (Mostly w/'bros' at work)

I think I am going to steal deeznuts's line and try it out.

I tend to just stab them in the throat with my shiv. Saves lengthy explanations.

how does everybody respond to "whats up?" ?

how ya doin'?

i think i've just started saying "yeeeah....you?"

wish i could reply to the question with extracts from songs e.g. Gladys Knight "alright...ALRIGHT!"

how does everybody respond to "whats up?" ?

-- deeznuts, Wednesday, March 19, 2008 2:16 PM (43 seconds ago) Bookmark Link

THE TRICK IS TO SAY WHAT'S UP FIRST!!!

What's stranger is that some people in England use "You alright?" as a greeting but don't expect an answer. This really confused me when I first moved there as I'd try to answer and realize that none was expected. I've never understood what that was about.

we stole it from this Doug E Fresh music video

one time I heard someone say "how does your garden grow?" and I'm like, "what the fuck are you talking about"

(xpost) There is an answer. The exchange should go like this: "Alright?" "Alright."

"Alright blood" if you're from the streets.

What's up? is harder to work with since there's a strong temptation to say something stupid like the sky or whatever. Nobody says that to me anymore, perhaps because I live in a white-collar yuppified world now.

"Not bad, how bout you?"

xpost to NBS - Yeah, I've figured that out now but it took me a while!

well its rarely asked in the form of a question anymore, so you just say 'sup, man' back. if it is actually asked w/ intent it confuses me & im always left saying "uhm, not much!" & feeling awkward

typically it's "feeling great, looking even better"

srsly, it took me awhile to get over the fact that it's not actually a question that needs to be answered. it usually goes "what's up?" "what's up." or "how ya doin'?" "'sup.".

I usually either state what day it is eg "it's thursday" as if that explains everything in some kind of holistic sense or "hanging in there," both are slightly less dour treatments of "still breathing" which would be my knee-jerk response to such a question. "All right" is far, far too optimistic for me

"At least I'm not dead yet."

Ha ha, Tombot. "I'm here," and, "it's X-day" are common responses from me, too.

"Gettin by."
"I'm makin it."

Various responses to more general "What's up"-type greeting include
"What's happening, man?"
"What the deal"
"Chillin, you?"
"What up"

haha i love the answering w/ what day it is, i might try that

ive never been comfortable enough with my coolness to say "chill" in any form

yeah it can have frat boy connotations if one is dbaggy enough to pop one's collar &c

haha i love the answering w/ what day it is, i might try that

x-post Me too. My default answer is usually "not much".

"Could always be worse."

This all really depends on who's asking, though, doesn't it?

My personal aim is to find responses that are interesting enough to provoke a mental double-take but not so interesting as to cause a response to my response.

the 'still livin the dream' one is good for that cuz you get to have the pleasure of seeing the other person being forced to politely smirk & can then get the hell outta dodge

"Y'know, chugging along."

For the slightly altered question "How're you doing?" I favor "Best I can".

"well, and you?"

i bet you have excellent enunciation

Tear at one's hair. Appear manic. Say loudly, "I JUST CAN'T DEAL WITH THAT RIGHT NOW!' Run away.

i'm usually overcompensating for inappropriate drunkenness (xp)

_____, and you?

Blank filled in, variably, with:

Great
Good
Pretty good
Well
Stellar
Awesome
Not Bad (usually meaning "horrible, but you don't get paid enough to hear about it")

And I'm not one of those that draws the grammatical distinction b/t responding to this question with "well" and "good."

LANGUAGE NECESSARILY HAS TO HAVE UTILITY AND A PURPOSE!!!! STOP CASTRATING IT BY FOCUSING ON THE FORM OVER ITS INTENDED FUNCTION!!!!

"Getting by so far."

"Tolerable"

"oh, y'know"

Sometimes I get, "NO, I DON'T!" and I know that their problems exceed mine

if at work: shit as ever.
if not: all right. you?

'yeah fiiiiine', or if things are really bad, 'yeah fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine'

For the slightly altered question "How're you doing?" I favor "Best I can".

when people tell me to "have a good one" or "have a good weekend" I always respond with "I'll do my best." if the fact that that's become practically a reflex isn't indicative of a terminally grim outlook I'm not sure what is

My response to "have a good one/time/weekend" is usually "I shall do my utmost."

you should append 'my good man'

"I'm chillin' like a villain, maxin' like Michael Jackson and livin' like Thanksgivin'"

-I heard Vanilla Ice say that once

Try bursting into tears and screaming "TOO MUCH PRESSURE!"

aaaawrriiiight

My friend's bf routinely says 'pretty not bad' in this drawl which I always find hilarious

"how's it hangin'?"

"Fine...just fine..." *turns thousand yard stare onto the questioner*

Actually I don't do this, I just awkwardly say "oh yeah, fine" and change the subject.

"How's it going?"

"Adequate". Always. Never fails to get a reaction.

"Surviving"

"I can't complain. (pause) They'll kill me if I do."

"Not bad mate. How's yourself?"

"oh, we manage"

HOW YOU LIVIN BIGGIE SMALLS

"it's going. It's not there yet, but it's going."

no

youre supposed to say IN MANSIONS AND BENZES, GIVING ENDS TO MY FRIENDS AND IT FEELS STUPENDOUS

No bad.

youre supposed to say IN MANSIONS AND BENZES, GIVING ENDS TO MY FRIENDS AND IT FEELS STUPENDOUS

I'd sooner quote "Mein Kampf" at someone.

chillaxin to the max with me fav wack paks

NOT SO BAD, YOU?

usually "hey" or "allllriiight" .. unless it's this one particular asshole I work with, and I say, "I'm fine." ..always leaving an awkward silence where I'm supposed to ask "and how're you?" but since I don't fucking give the least shit, I do not ask.

http://www.bartleby.com/95/3.html "> http://www.bartleby.com/95/3.html

I once got told off by an old lady for responding 'fine' to 'how do you do?', as it's not really a question - you just say the same thing back.

oops

Who does not dislike a “boneless” hand extended as though it were a spray of sea-weed, or a miniature boiled pudding?

decent

Southern hospitality has its downside...I was leaving my bank yesterday and one of the tellers said "how are you today?" But I could have sworn she was talking to someone behind me, and I didn't say anything. When I got to the exit, I half-turned and realized there wasn't anybody else in the lobby, and that she must have been talking to me. So in her mind now I'm the stuck-up bastard who doesn't respond to everyday pleasantries.

But why would the teller ask how you were when you were already leaving the bank? She's gotta learn the lesson sometime, don't feel bad.

"musn't grumble"

But this is Mississippi! We have to spend 20 minutes claiming kin even on our deathbeds. "Now whose boy are you? Oh yeah, I went to school with your daddygllllkkkkk---"

i hate when that happens rock. i try and spiritually compensate for it by sending the person loving vibes across the room.

be careful, or you could spray them with aerosolized pheremones

These days people don't get the chance to ask, cause I'm immediately complaining about sleep deprivation, sick kids, low immune system and basic fuckedupness. Then I close with "but I am sure this will all pass soon. So how are you?" by that time my long winded complaining has turned into a soliloquy with the "listener" running for the hills. *sniffelz*

"Not bad" usually, as i'd rather not say "it's fucking shit to be honest"

"ever more grindingly"

honestly. if you're going to ask, i'm going to answer. they feel politeness requires them to ask, i feel politeness requires me to be honest

I have this coworker that always asks "How are you" in the standard way, then asks a follow-up, as though you're supposed to go a bit deeper into your inner state before answering. I've learned the awkward way, though, that if you do anything other than re-affirm your original answer he gets really uncomfortable and silently shuffles off.

Really bizarre.

i used to say "fine" or "good" by default, but then i'd make the mistake of asking them the same question back, thinking it only polite. they'd be halfway down the hall by that time.

"Never better. In sh'allah."

a few weeks ago i ran into my advisor on campus, and asked him "what's happening?" and he said, "well... ill just say this: the being of being is becoming."

-- max, Friday, December 14, 2007 10:43 PM (3 months ago) Bookmark Link

I was once told "Fat n' sassy!" by a cheerful middle aged Wal-Mart clerk at three in the morning.