how do you do

English

Alternative forms

Phrase

how do you do?

  1. (formal) a greeting used meeting somebody. Alternatives are pleased to meet you and nice to meet you. Often not actually meant as a question (depends on the region).
    • 1913 Eleanor Porter: Pollyanna: Chapter 8:
      "How do you do?" began Pollyanna politely. "I'm from Miss Polly Harrington, and I'd like to see Mrs. Snow, please."

Translations

Noun

how do you do (plural how do you dos)

  1. (Britain, euphemistic) A difficult situation
    • 1993, Nick Park, Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers
      Well, this is a fine how do you do isn't it, Gromit?
    • 2010, Michael Sledge, The More I Owe You: A Novel, Counterpoint Press →ISBN, page 78
      On the winding road to Petropolis, they did not speak, not about modernism or the construction of houses or antique bird jails or fine how-do-you-dos.
    • 2013, Chris Raschka, Seriously, Norman!, Scholastic Inc. →ISBN, page 115
      "Vienna!" Mr. B. went on. "This is is a bit of a how-do-you-do, is it not?"
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