one thing i miss about southern california (that doesn't seem to be practiced in atlanta, where i now live) is that the "how are you" greeting has been stripped of any meaning, at least in informal settings and amongst young people, something like "god be with you" becoming "goodbye." "howsitgoin" is a more or less standard greeting, and the response can be "hey," "howsitgoin," or for those who insist on taking it literally, "good/arright/not bad" but without any followup.
i find it annoying when people give a literal (and negative) answer, as in "how are you?" "oh i'm just awful, i have a cold, my dog is dying of breast cancer," etc. i should be used to it by now, as i can't remember a time my grandmother replied to the question without complaining, but it's especially bothersome with strangers or acquaintances. "how are you"/"how's it going?" is just a formality, not a genuine inquiry, and i wish people would treat it as such!
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momijizukamori
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Date: 2009-03-10 01:13 pm (UTC)i find it annoying when people give a literal (and negative) answer, as in "how are you?" "oh i'm just awful, i have a cold, my dog is dying of breast cancer," etc. i should be used to it by now, as i can't remember a time my grandmother replied to the question without complaining, but it's especially bothersome with strangers or acquaintances. "how are you"/"how's it going?" is just a formality, not a genuine inquiry, and i wish people would treat it as such!