# "How come?" meaning "Why?" (Inspired by the "Used To" thread)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-meaning-why-inspired-by-the-used-to-thread/363255>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 5, 2006, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-meaning-why-inspired-by-the-used-to-thread/363255 "2006-07-05T20:40:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2006, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-meaning-why-inspired-by-the-used-to-thread/363255/1 "2006-07-05T20:40:36Z")

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So how come we say “how come?”, and is it current in all English speaking countries? And if it is current in your dialect, is it considered appropriate in all contexts, or only some?

Actually, the etymology can be easily imagined. “Come” in this phrase could be a past participle, so it might have been something like the following:

“How has it come that…”

But even if it is an infinitive, it could as well be,

“How did it come that…”

How far back is the phrase attested?

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**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2006, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-meaning-why-inspired-by-the-used-to-thread/363255/2 "2006-07-05T20:52:03Z")

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I’ve often wondered the same quesstion, but wouldn’t the etymology be more like “how has it come to be that…”?

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2006, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-meaning-why-inspired-by-the-used-to-thread/363255/3 "2006-07-05T20:58:28Z")

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The OED attests “How come” as far back as 1548. Shakespeare used it in “Coriolanus.”

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**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2006, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-meaning-why-inspired-by-the-used-to-thread/363255/4 "2006-07-05T21:36:33Z")

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I always figured it was short for something like “how have you come to this conclusion/course of action/etc.”. No cites tho’.

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2006, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-meaning-why-inspired-by-the-used-to-thread/363255/5 "2006-07-06T01:08:27Z")

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> [@John Mace](#):
>
> I’ve often wondered the same quesstion, but wouldn’t the etymology be more like “how has it come to be that…”?

I agree. ‘How comes it that…?’

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**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2006, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-meaning-why-inspired-by-the-used-to-thread/363255/6 "2006-07-06T01:48:10Z")

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“It occurs in writing that imitates conversation but is not usual in Edited English and may be a contraction of _How does it come about that_ . . .” (from [The Columbia Guide to Standard American English](http://www.bartleby.com/68/45/3045.html))

These things change over time and some words that sound similar to modern English definitely do not mean the same as the modern usage. Take the example of the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet. _Wherefore_ means basically the same as _why_, and has nothing to do with location.