how do you do

¹

interjection

1. (used as a conventional greeting.)

how-do-you-do

²

[ hou-duh-yuh-doo ]

noun

, Informal.

, plural how-do-you-dos.

1. a greeting; salutation:

   She smiled and gave him a how-do-you-do fit for a king.

2. an awkward or unpleasant event or situation:

   It's a fine how-do-you-do that they've refused to help us out.

how do you do

sentence substitute

1. Alsohow do?how d'ye do? a formal greeting said by people who are being introduced to each other or are meeting for the first time

noun

1. informal.
   a difficult situation

Word History and Origins

Origin of how do you do¹

First recorded in 1625–35

Idioms and Phrases

A conventional greeting used mostly after being introduced to someone, as in And this is our youngest—say “How do you do” to Mr. Smith . Although it is a question, it requires no reply. Originally, in the 1600s, this expression was an inquiry after a person's health or standing, how do you do meaning “how do you fare?” Today we usually express this as How are you ? or How are you doing ? or How goes it ? or How's it going ? Even more general are the slangy locutions How are things ? or How's tricks ? All of these greetings date from the first half of the 1900s.

Example Sentences

“The attention that gets put on the director is: How do you do the legislative piece? But really the most important piece is: How do you motivate and help grow young staffers?”

From Los Angeles Times

“How do you do that? You win World Series. And how do you win World Series? You help figure out how to make the club that much better. He made the club that much better when he came to that decision.”

From Los Angeles Times

“RFK Jr. wants to get rid of toxins and claims he is going to get rid of capture at the FDA, but how do you do this while you are also dismantling the regulatory state and appointing judges that disable regulators from regulating? … What is the magic device by which we’re going to get polluters to stop polluting?”

From Salon

And I said, "Okay, how do you do that?"

From Salon

In terms of keeping the momentum for yourself, physically, mentally, emotionally, staying true to this arc, to these characters, to their story over five years while you're going through the wringer, how do you do it?

From Salon

Related Words

• hello
• nod
• ovation
• reception
• salute