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Glite Dictionary
🤝 A formal greeting 😬 A fuss
how-do-you-do

how-do-you-do

9.3
An awkward or difficult situation that causes trouble
  • noun
  • /haʊ djuː duː/
  • Archaic
translation icon : alboroto
  • There was a real how-do-you-do when the wrong speech was played at the ceremony.

Examples

  • When the fire alarm went off during the presentation, it caused quite a how-do-you-do.

  • After she spilled the drinks at the meeting, it was quite a how-do-you-do.

  • If there's another how-do-you-do at the office party this year, I'll be surprised.

  • What a how-do-you-do that was!

  • There was quite a how-do-you-do at the party last night.

  • There was quite a how-do-you-do when everyone realized the guest speaker was missing.

  • The unexpected fireworks display created a real how-do-you-do in the quiet neighborhood.

Synonyms

fuss
vshow-do-you-do
145 1.5

A lot of worry or complaint about something small

focuses on real awkward or problematic situations rather than trivial upset
tricky situation
vshow-do-you-do
4 3.7

A difficult situation that is hard to deal with

also covers noisy commotion or fuss as well as difficulty
how-d'ye-do
vshow-do-you-do
  • Archaic
9.9

An awkward problem that causes a fuss

is identical in meaning but uses the other spelling form
doings
vshow-do-you-do
  • Informal
7.1

A noisy disturbance caused by activity or argument

is broader and covers awkward or problematic situations beyond noisy events

How Serious

disaster
∞ 1.0
crisis
∞ 3.1
problem
∞ 1.2
how-do-you-do
  • Archaic
9.3
difficulty
651 2.4
hassle
89 4.5
fuss
145 1.5

Surface Forms

how-do-you-do singular
how-do-you-dos plural

Etymology

How-do-you-do also grew into a word for an awkward or noisy problem. A helpful way to remember this is to imagine people saying 'How do you do?' in surprise when something goes wrong, so the phrase became a name for a mess or fuss.