# How do you respond to "What's up?" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 22, 2005, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-respond-to-whats-up/295788 "2005-03-22T22:44:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-respond-to-whats-up/295788/41 "2005-03-23T16:32:56Z")
Canned response: The crime rate, taxes and my blood pressure. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-respond-to-whats-up/295788/42 "2005-03-23T16:37:22Z")
Depends on context: Someone I see everyday: What’s up? Tremorviolet: Nuthin’ much. What’s up wit’ you? Someone I hadn’t seen in a while: What’s up? Tremorviolet: Duuuuuude! Man, it’s been _forever_. How’s it goin’? Yes, it’s incredibly lame but I really do talk like that… ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-respond-to-whats-up/295788/43 "2005-03-23T16:37:09Z")
Unless I have strong feelings about how I’m feeling I say, “not much, howeryou?” Otherwise I say “I’m really grumpy today”\* or “great! Howeryou?” \*I like to acknowledge that I know I am grumpy so if I happen to slip folks will take it with a grain of salt. ---
**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:** [March 23, 2005, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-respond-to-whats-up/295788/44 "2005-03-23T17:19:55Z")
My possible responses: 1. Hey. 2. S’going on? 3. Not too much. I think my brain has some sort of random algorithm designed to pick out a response. It’s just about guaranteed to be one of those three, though. ---
**Author:** ![KellyM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/57b2e6/32.png) [@KellyM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KellyM)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-respond-to-whats-up/295788/45 "2005-03-23T17:33:32Z")
“Up” is the direction in which the local gravitational field strength decreases most rapidly. ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-respond-to-whats-up/295788/46 "2005-03-23T17:41:33Z")
> [@KellyM](#): > > “Up” is the direction in which the local gravitational field strength decreases most rapidly. She really does say this. Sometimes multple times in one evening in response to my husband asking her, “What’s up?” ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-respond-to-whats-up/295788/47 "2005-03-23T18:22:08Z")
Acceptible answers: “Not much” “Nothin” “Hey” “Your mother” “My cock” ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-respond-to-whats-up/295788/48 "2005-03-23T18:45:45Z")
> [@NoPretentiousCodename](#): > > Am I the only one who thinks the proper response to “What’s up” is “What’s up”? > > No it doesn’t make sense logically. Lets just say that nobody’s ever looked at me funny for answering the greeting this way, which is more than I can say for “not much” or "nuthin’ ". > > I do the same for “how you doin’?” or “howareya?”. > > They’re questions everyone asks, but nobody wants to know the answer to… 😃 You are correct, it is the only proper response. Some variations: “Hey, whassup man” followed by a soul shake and maybe a soul shake/back pat if y’all are **real** cool. " 'sup " accompanied by a short, upward headnod. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-respond-to-whats-up/295788/49 "2005-03-23T18:48:45Z")
I always need a few seconds to remember that it doesn’t mean jack. Once I do remember it, I answer with something else that’s also meaningless, like “hi there” or “good morning”. Back home, if people ask something like “what’s up?” or “what’s going on?” it’s an actual question and they get an update on family affairs (which is also what I get if I ask them). ---
**Author:** ![raz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@raz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raz)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-respond-to-whats-up/295788/50 "2005-03-23T18:51:39Z")
I usually say something along the lines of “Not much, what are you up to?” Sometimes I’ll get a little wacky and respond with “Oh, nothing good”. But I’m just crazy like that. ---
**Author:** ![Dubious\_Weasle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b782af/32.png) [@Dubious\_Weasle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dubious_Weasle)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-respond-to-whats-up/295788/51 "2005-03-23T20:10:14Z")
Back in Junior High/High School years I would occasionally answer, “Up is a relative concept having no intrinsic value.” But eventually I got tired of being a smart-ass so I haven’t used it in a decade or so. Things days I usually answer with a “not much” or something similiar unless of course there actually is something “up.” The big expection is if I’m passing someone in the hall or other similiar situations where there really isn’t much time for a a reply. Those seem to frequently involved “what’s up?” being answered immediately with a second “what’s up” as a reply and then both parties walk on happily with neither one of their queries being answered. ---
**Author:** ![available\_light](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@available\_light](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/available_light)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2005, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-respond-to-whats-up/295788/52 "2005-03-24T04:08:48Z")
I’ve actually given this some thought, because “what’s up” is a very common greeting among my peer group, mostly 20-somethings. My theory is that how you respond to this is actually an indicator of your hipness. It seems to me that the hip, cool, happening (mostly younger) folks respond to “what’s up?” with another “what’s up” or, as another poster mentioned, just “sup.” It’s a statement, really, not a question. Like “hi” or something. So you get two people having an entire conversation as follows: “sup?” “sup.” (with little head nods) I’ve observed my younger brother do this, and it’s quite odd to me. The less hip, happening, cool (like me) actually treat it as a question and respond “not much” or some such. So, sorry to all who say “not much,” but this is an instant indicator that you’re over the hill. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2005, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-respond-to-whats-up/295788/53 "2005-03-24T04:23:22Z")
How about people like me who actually tell you what’s new? ---
**Author:** ![available\_light](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@available\_light](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/available_light)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2005, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-respond-to-whats-up/295788/54 "2005-03-24T04:32:37Z")
Gosh, you’re a positive relic! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Merhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Merhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merhouse)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2005, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-respond-to-whats-up/295788/55 "2005-03-24T04:51:06Z")
I usually answer “Nada. You?” because face it, nobody really gives a damn. But I do like the answer of actually **telling** them and watching them trying to get away quickly, because what they really want to hear is “nothing” 🙂 However, the best answer I ever “heard” (in an AOL chat room of all places): “Up is a two letter word meaning above.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2005, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-respond-to-whats-up/295788/56 "2005-03-24T05:02:59Z")
Sometimes, “I was hoping you knew.” Ususally I just say Hi. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2005, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-respond-to-whats-up/295788/57 "2005-03-24T06:32:44Z")
“Everything!” or “Ever’thang.” Ever’thang is ever’thang. Yeah. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2005, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-respond-to-whats-up/295788/58 "2005-03-24T13:07:31Z")
“It’s the direction of negative gravitational gradient, typically normal to a planetary surface. But that’s not important right now.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-respond-to-whats-up/295788.md?page=2)