# Hey, what's up? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 18, 2006, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-whats-up/353187 "2006-04-18T17:14:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-whats-up/353187/1 "2006-04-18T17:14:51Z")
… And I’m totally stymied for a response. As some of you may know, I’m not 'merkin. But I’ve recently gotten quite a few of them on my IM service, and they invariably seem to open with “Hey, what’s up!” And what’s the expected response? Help? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-whats-up/353187/2 "2006-04-18T17:21:58Z")
The answer is always, “not much”. Of course, then you go on and describe your recent operation, marriage, death in the family, Nobel Prize, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-whats-up/353187/3 "2006-04-18T17:22:37Z")
What’s up = what’s going on with you = what are you up to = what’s happening, all of which are more or less a variation of “Hello, how are you?” Responses? “Doin’ okay,” “chillin’,” or any reasonable response to a greeting. ---
**Author:** ![Grossbottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ba8739/32.png) [@Grossbottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grossbottom)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-whats-up/353187/4 "2006-04-18T17:24:59Z")
“Nothing, what’s up with you?” “Oh, [insert description of recent event here]. What are you up to?” “Hay” “dude sup” ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-whats-up/353187/5 "2006-04-18T18:17:45Z")
Actually, the correct response to this (at least when asked in passing by a co-worker) is “Good, you?”, followed three steps later by the realization of what you just said and some appropriate forehead slapping. ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-whats-up/353187/6 "2006-04-18T18:31:20Z")
> [@Hal Briston](#): > > Actually, the correct response to this (at least when asked in passing by a co-worker) is “Good, you?”, followed three steps later by the realization of what you just said and some appropriate forehead slapping. EXACTLY!!! Actually, I usually answer “fine”, followed by the 3-step/head slap. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-whats-up/353187/7 "2006-04-18T18:57:24Z")
“I thought _you_ knew?!” ---
**Author:** ![Seren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e19adc/32.png) [@Seren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seren)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-whats-up/353187/8 "2006-04-18T19:52:49Z")
“The sky.” My sister and I came up with that when we were really little. It’s a habit now. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-whats-up/353187/9 "2006-04-18T20:03:38Z")
“Both breasts and my attitude.” ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-whats-up/353187/10 "2006-04-18T20:26:02Z")
I think the question isn’t really looking for an answer to “what’s up”, it’s just a greeting. I always respond with “hey”. I know, it’s eloquent. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-whats-up/353187/11 "2006-04-18T20:27:16Z")
I think the question isn’t really looking for an answer to “what’s up”, it’s just a greeting. I always respond with “hey”. That way, the conversation volleys back to the other person and it’s their job to come up with something to continue it, not mine. I know, it’s eloquent. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-whats-up/353187/12 "2006-04-18T20:28:30Z")
Sorry about that… not sure how it happened. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-whats-up/353187/13 "2006-04-18T20:49:24Z")
Bah! “What’s up?” always used to confuse me. Here in the U.K. it is more likely to carry a meaning of “what is wrong?” and I was always muddled when 'phoning a friend (originally from N.Y.C.) and she said “what’s up?” (especially as I had usally 'phoned to let her let off steam about a variety of bad stuff. I got the idea eventually, although I stil don’t like it much. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-whats-up/353187/14 "2006-04-18T21:34:56Z")
It’s analogous to the Spanish “que pasa?” and the German “wie geht’s?”. Maybe we Dopers can spearhead a movement to revive the old “how’s tricks?”…? ---
**Author:** ![Polerius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d78d45/32.png) [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-whats-up/353187/15 "2006-04-18T21:36:25Z")
> [@http://everything2.com/index.pl?node\_id=715764](#): > > The correct response to “how do you do?” is simply “how do you do.” So I guess the correct response to “What’s up?” should be “What’s up” 🙂 Most people I know just reply with “Not much”. ---
**Author:** ![Translucent\_Daydream](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/translucent_daydream/32/16170_2.png) [@Translucent\_Daydream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Translucent_Daydream)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-whats-up/353187/16 "2006-04-18T21:51:28Z")
My grandmother always says, “My blood pressure.” ---
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-whats-up/353187/17 "2006-04-18T22:41:17Z")
Yo. ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-whats-up/353187/18 "2006-04-18T22:48:26Z")
I always reply, “Not much,” no matter what is actually happening. Then later in the conversation, you talk about what is actually happening. The only exception is in cases of personal crisis, when I will say, “Nothing good,” and then elaborate if the other person really wants to know.