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ESL forum > Ask for help > How do you do?    

How do you do?



imanito
Morocco

How do you do?
 
hello everyone!
Please could you help me find a conversation with the statement "how do you do?"
I have browsed the net but I find only texts explaining the origin of the expression -and talking about its origin- here is the link: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/how-do-you-do.html
thank you in advance

16 Jan 2011      





Apodo
Australia

This is an old fashioned sounding phrase.
 
�Good morning, Giles.� 
          

�Good morning Lady Ascot. How do you do?�

�I�m very well thank you Giles. And how are you?�

"I �m much better now, thank you."

 

16 Jan 2011     



imanito
Morocco

I love the rhyme it�s so great 
thank you so much Apodo but I wanna know how british people answer "how do you do?"
is it correct to say "I am fine" or you answer by asking the same Q which is "how do you do?" and was asking about a conversation from the net which I prefer to be real like an interview or suchlike.
thank you so much

16 Jan 2011     



plemos
Portugal

When I was taugh this expression, I was also taught that you should answer the same way.
 
A: How do you do?
B: How do you do.
 
Actually there was a small poem I memorised in those times which goes:
 
How do you do?
I say to you
You answer too
How do you do!
 
I don �t know if things have changed, or if in other countries other than England it is different but to the answer "Fine thanks" I would say "How are you?" (Not "How do you do")
 
Hope this helps!! Embarrassed(other wise, please help me!!Confused)

16 Jan 2011     



imanito
Morocco

LOL you sure helped me a lot plemos 
thank you so much 

16 Jan 2011     



Apodo
Australia

This is a simple rhyme that uses your thumbs and all your fingers.
Two fat gentlemen - thumbs
Two thin ladies - forefingers
Two tall policemen - middle fingers
Two little school boys - ring fingers
Two liitle babies - little fingers

Start with your thumbs held up, facing each other so that they can bend towards each other to bow.
Bow, twice and then alternately when you say �How do you do?� and then together again for the last line.
Repeat using other fingers.


 
 

Two Fat Gentlemen

Two fat gentlemen met in the lane,
Bowed most politely, bowed once again.
How do you do? How do you do?
How do you do again?

Two thin ladies met in the lane,
Bowed most politely, bowed once again.
How do you do? How do you do?
How do you do again?

Two tall policemen met in the lane,
Bowed most politely, bowed once again.
How do you do? How do you do?
How do you do again?

Two little schoolboys met in a lane,
Bowed most politely, bowed once again.
How do you do? How do you do?
How do you do again?

Two little babies met in a lane,
Bowed most politely, bowed once again.
How do you do? How do you do?
How do you again?

16 Jan 2011     



Apodo
Australia

Oh, OK.
It �s just an old fashioned very polite and quite formal way of saying �How are you? �
You can answer �I �m very well �, �I �m fine thank you. � usually followed by asking about the other person �s health.
 
And it can also be used as a sort of greeting like �Hi � , G �Day etc, so you could just answer the same way.

16 Jan 2011     



redcamarocruiser
United States

Complimenting what others have mentioned, "How do you do?" is the standard thing to say during introductions.

A: Mr. B, this is Mr. C.
B: How do you do?
C: How do you do?

The gentlemen are not really asking eachother how they are doing. It is a formalized ritual statement that people can use as an alternative to "Nice to meet you" in formal settings.

16 Jan 2011     



edrodmedina
United States

When I was a child (no there were dinosaurs then)...we were taught a little song as a greeting. It went like this:
 
Good morning,
good morning,
good morning to you!
Good morning,
good morning,
good morning 
and how do you do?

16 Jan 2011     



kaz76
United Kingdom

I �ve only ever heard this phrase used for introductions in the way Red said.  When you meet someone for the first time (in a formal setting) you would say how do you do and they would reply with the same phrase.

16 Jan 2011     



Jayho
Australia

Interesting ... to add to Apodo�s repsonse, this expression is very old fashioned in Australia and rarely used.
 
Is it really still used in GB and USA?  I don�t recall  hearing it used in film and television.

16 Jan 2011     

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