how-do-you-do

how′ do you do′

interj.

(used as a conventional greeting.)

how-do-you-do

(ˈhaʊ də yəˈdu)

also how-de-do

(-di-)

n., pl. -dos. Informal.

1. an act or instance of saying “how do you do” or a similar greeting; salutation.

2. an awkward or unpleasant situation: It's a fine how-do-you-do that they've refused to help us.

[1625–35]

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	how-do-you-do - an awkward situation; "that's a fine how-d'ye-do" how-d'ye-do situation - a complex or critical or unusual difficulty; "the dangerous situation developed suddenly"; "that's quite a situation"; "no human situation is simple"
	2.	how-do-you-do - an expression of greeting; "every morning they exchanged polite hellos" hello, hi, howdy, hullo greeting, salutation - (usually plural) an acknowledgment or expression of good will (especially on meeting)

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