This phrase is one of those real windows into history, as Yorkshire in particular features a great deal of slang and colloquialisms that have gone largely unchanged for many centuries.Īy up most likely originates from an Old Norse term, which meant “watch out”. This one is very specifically a Yorkshire greeting, though it has spread to some other areas over the last few decades. Moving away from borrowed Americanisms, next we have ay-up. So, it really depends on the context of the situation. That said, a normal response to “’sup” might just be “Not much, and you?” Very often, you’ll get asked something like how are you or what’s up but there’s not necessarily any requirement to answer. Its current usage originates in 1990s hip-hop slang.įollowing on from that, another that has come down to us from American slang but taken on its own British character is ‘sup, a shortened form of “What’s up?”Īs you can see, British English rather loves to use rhetorical questions for greetings. “Yo! What’s this?” for example might have been its original sense. It’s originally a medieval English word, where it was a sort of general exclamation. It’s perhaps schoolyard slang more than anything else. This is certainly not universal, and is only going to be used by younger people, really. Once again, this one is found in many parts of the English-speaking world.īut it’s definitely taken on a uniquely British character in the parts of Britain where it is used. It first appears in written form in the 1940s. This is simply a shortened form of “how are you”, which again originated in the United States but is now far more commonly heard in Britain. It’s particularly used in phone calls, for instance, to create an air of friendliness. Virtually anywhere in the country, “hiya” can be used as an informal way to say hello. I think it’s best not to think about that when you use this phrase!Īgain, we have hear a pretty universally understood if not used slang term, but one that is certainly uniquely important in British greetings. It is suggested that this phrase originates in a medieval expression asking someone about the quality of someone’s bowel movements. That said, if you are stopping for a conversation with someone rather than simply a passing greeting, “How’s it going?” perhaps more has the sense of “How are things going for you” rather than “How are you feeling”. In any case, it’s taken on a fully British character now.Īnother variation of the previous phrase is “How’s it going?” which again most English speakers will be familiar with on some level.Īgain, the sense is really the same as the previous one-it’s a question that doesn’t necessarily need an answer. This one may have started as an Americanism, particularly in New York in the 20 th Century. So, for example, as you pass an acquaintance in the street you might say “How you doing?” or “Hey, how you doing?” and receive the same thing back at you as a return greeting. On the other hand, you are asking how they are.Īgain, though, you aren’t necessarily looking for an answer. On the one hand, you’re simply greeting the person and they will recognize that. Some suggest this greeting was popularized by northern soap operas such as Coronation Street.ĭoubtless, some form of asking how a person is is a universal greeting even across languages.Īgain, though, in British slang, “how you doing” is a grammatically incomplete sentence, and thus again it simply becomes a two-pronged greeting. It often doesn’t even require a response.Ī head nod, “Alright” and that’s all the greeting you need! Today, it’s certainly pretty universal, though it was more of a northern-English greeting in the past. The OED cites usages of this phrase as a greeting as early as 1868, so it’s by no means recent. To a non-British English person, this might sound like it’s missing something.īut this is one of the most common slang greetings in the UK, and is simply a way of saying “hi, how are you?” without actually saying that. Universal, clear in meaning and purpose, short, snappy and effective-in informal settings, you can’t go wrong with “alright” as a greeting.
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