How do you do?” depending on the formality of the occasion, and whether you can count on the other person to understand that the answer to “How do yo… - Judith Martin

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How do you do?” depending on the formality of the occasion, and whether you can count on the other person to understand that the answer to “How do you do?” is “How do you do?” even though that makes two questions in a row. (Etiquette opposes any declaration of being pleased to meet someone on the cynical grounds that it may not turn out to be a pleasure.) The