How're you?
- Doug_Tipple
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How're you?
How're you? I am interested in buying something from your store, the email read, thankfully in my spam file. Is that contraction OK? I don't think so.
Re: How're you?
were fine...
no rush, but where did that come from?
no rush, but where did that come from?
Picture a bright blue ball just spinning, spinning free
It's dizzying, the possibilities. Ashes, Ashes all fall down.
It's dizzying, the possibilities. Ashes, Ashes all fall down.
- Nanohedron
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Oh, yeah: also a mod here, not a spammer. A matter of opinion, perhaps. - Location: Lefse country
Re: How're you?
Not sure what you mean by "okay". I agree that the contraction is less than appropriate for business communication. I don't think it's a hands-down offense, especially these days, but really it's too familiar for semiformality, which to me is the tone business ought to carry, especially when making introductions.Doug_Tipple wrote:How're you? I am interested in buying something from your store, the email read, thankfully in my spam file. Is that contraction OK? I don't think so.
If you mean "Is the contraction OK?" in a general sense, then I would say yes, it is okay, because it conveys a similar contraction in speech, and that is an old practice in English letters. But then too I would say that, because "how're" is just the sort of thing I would use sooner or later when going for a colloquial tone in my writing. In all fairness though and my notions of good business tone aside, I would more likely have written "How're you doing?", because in my speech the rhythms of "How're you?" are less likely than "How are you?" - I would put more stress on the "are" than on the "how", here.
If you mean were the spelling and punctuation correct for the contraction, then my vote is entirely "yes" in this case.
I suppose you're sorry you asked, now.
"If you take music out of this world, you will have nothing but a ball of fire." - Balochi musician
Re: How're you?
If you're hav'n contractions I'd dial 911.
Re: How're you?
Technically, a perfectly good contraction.Doug_Tipple wrote:How're you? ... Is that contraction OK? I don't think so.
The apostrophe has taken the place of the
space between words and one or more of
the letters in one of the words. Pretty much
a textbook contraction. A bit of a neologism,
perhaps, but I've pronounced it that way
before. I have more respect for that spelling
decision than, for example, "How R U?"
Nex' you're goin' to tell me "y'all" is all'rong.
- emmline
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Re: How're you?
That's 'cause you're from up north (don't ya know.)Nanohedron wrote:I would more likely have written "How're you doing?", because in my speech the rhythms of "How're you?" are less likely than "How are you?" - I would put more stress on the "are" than on the "how", here.
I would write it exactly as the inquirer did, spoken emphasis on the "you."
I don't object to it at all, as emails tend not to be a medium of formal communication, and when one is proposing to purchase something from someone else, obsequiousness isn't necessary. OTOH, it wouldn't be my style to open an email that way.
- Nanohedron
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- Tell us something.: Been a fluter, citternist, and uilleann piper; committed now to the way of the harp.
Oh, yeah: also a mod here, not a spammer. A matter of opinion, perhaps. - Location: Lefse country
Re: How're you?
Just for the record, I wasn't casting votes for standing on ceremony to the degree of bootlickery, archaisms, oiliness, or anything that weighty.emmline wrote:...when one is proposing to purchase something from someone else, obsequiousness isn't necessary.
"If you take music out of this world, you will have nothing but a ball of fire." - Balochi musician
- mutepointe
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Re: How're you?
It's about time someone asked. For the last month or so, I've been dealing with pneumonia and what will probably be a torn meniscus of my left knee. I think I'll make it.
Rose tint my world. Keep me safe from my trouble and pain.
白飞梦
白飞梦
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Re: How're you?
"OK" in what sense? It isn't formal english, but it wasn't ambiguous, either. You understood it perfectly and it's a normal part of many native speakers' everyday speech. You've said it yourself, many many times.
And now there was no doubt that the trees were really moving - moving in and out through one another as if in a complicated country dance. ('And I suppose,' thought Lucy, 'when trees dance, it must be a very, very country dance indeed.')
C.S. Lewis
C.S. Lewis
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Re: How're you?
They could have said "Howdy", "Howdyedo", or even the exemplary terse "How", preferred by the Native Speakers in the old Westerns. If Native Americans ever actually said that, even better!
I suppose around our way if they were trying to be colloquial, they might say "How's yerself?" or "How's you?", or "How's about ye?" or even "Are you rightly?". "How do?" sounds mean in comparison.
Doug, the emails I get address me as "Beloved" in some cases, and often make ill-considered assumptions about my religious beliefs. The cheekiest recent one claimed to have already contacted me and was waiting for a reply. Nice try, but no.
I suppose around our way if they were trying to be colloquial, they might say "How's yerself?" or "How's you?", or "How's about ye?" or even "Are you rightly?". "How do?" sounds mean in comparison.
Doug, the emails I get address me as "Beloved" in some cases, and often make ill-considered assumptions about my religious beliefs. The cheekiest recent one claimed to have already contacted me and was waiting for a reply. Nice try, but no.
Last edited by Innocent Bystander on Thu Jan 19, 2012 5:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Wizard needs whiskey, badly!
- mutepointe
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Re: How're you?
When I was at the hospital yesterday, one of the workers who passed me said, "Howdy." He didn't look like a cowboy, He looked like a Technician.
Rose tint my world. Keep me safe from my trouble and pain.
白飞梦
白飞梦
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Re: How're you?
It's all Ross Perot's fault.mutepointe wrote:He didn't look like a cowboy, He looked like a Technician.
And now there was no doubt that the trees were really moving - moving in and out through one another as if in a complicated country dance. ('And I suppose,' thought Lucy, 'when trees dance, it must be a very, very country dance indeed.')
C.S. Lewis
C.S. Lewis
- weedie
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Re: How're you?
If it was from Straylyah,it would have said ... Owzitgoin'
" Quiet is quite nice " ..... weedie .....
Re: How're you?
verbose, ain't they...
owzit seems enough
owzit seems enough
Picture a bright blue ball just spinning, spinning free
It's dizzying, the possibilities. Ashes, Ashes all fall down.
It's dizzying, the possibilities. Ashes, Ashes all fall down.
- brewerpaul
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Re: How're you?
Hey, funny coincidence.. I got the same email today and sent 5 whistles to the sender. He promised he would send a check...Doug_Tipple wrote:How're you? I am interested in buying something from your store, the email read, thankfully in my spam file. Is that contraction OK? I don't think so.