How's it going?

[0009] What's up?

🎲 How are you doing?
English Idioms
All Idioms

Explanation

  • A very informal greeting asking what someone is doing or what's new.
  • Can also be used to inquire about a specific situation (What's up with that noise?).
  • Often doesn't require a literal answer; Not much is a common reply.

Origin

  • Popularized in the mid-20th century, possibly influenced by earlier phrases like What's the time? or simply What is up?.
  • Gained widespread use through American culture, particularly associated with youth and casual communication.
  • The cartoon character Bugs Bunny's catchphrase What's up, Doc? (starting 1940) significantly boosted its popularity.

Synonyms & Related Expressions

  • Sup? (Abbreviation)
  • What's happening?
  • What's new?
  • What's going on?
  • How's it going? (Slightly less about current activity, more about general state)
  • Yo (Greeting, often precedes or implies What's up?)

Alternatives

Slang/Informal:

  • Sup? / Wassup? / Wazzup? (Common shortenings/variations)
  • What's good? (Urban/AAVE influence, asks what's happening or positive news)
  • What it do? (Urban/AAVE slang)
  • What's crackin'? / What's crackalackin'? (Playful, informal slang)

Milder/Standard:

  • What's new?
  • How's it going?
  • How are you?

Situational Appropriateness

  • Very informal.
  • Best used with friends, peers, and in relaxed social environments.
  • Avoid in formal business settings, job interviews, or when addressing authority figures or elders unless you have a very familiar relationship.

Misunderstanding Warnings

  • Non-native speakers might try to give a literal answer about what is physically up.
  • They might also be confused by the common Not much response, wondering why someone would ask if they didn't want an answer. Explain it's often a ritual greeting like How are you?.

Examples

  • Hey man, what's up?
  • What's up? You look worried.

Dialogue

Jake: Yo, Kenji! What's up?

Kenji: Not much, man. Just heading home. What's up with you?

Jake: Same old. Thinking about grabbing pizza later?

Kenji: Sounds good!

Social Media Examples

  • Tweet: What's up Twitter fam? Anyone else surviving Monday? 😂 #MondayMood
  • Snapchat caption: Sup? (with a selfie)
  • Text message: Hey what's up? Free tonight?

Response Patterns

  • Not much, you? (Very common)
  • Nothing much.
  • Hey / What's up? (Responding in kind)
  • Just chillin'. / Just working. (Briefly stating current activity)
  • The sky! (Playful/joking response)

Common Follow-up Questions/Actions

After asking What's up?:

  • Usually expect a brief, non-committal answer.
  • May follow up with a specific question or statement (Wanna grab lunch?).

After responding (Not much, you?):

  • Listen to the other person's reply (Same here).
  • The conversation usually moves quickly to the reason for interaction or another topic.

Conversation Starter

  • Yes.
  • Excellent conversation opener in very informal settings, especially among peers and younger people.

Intonation

  • Very casual, often fast.
  • Can have a slight rising intonation (What's UP?) but often said with a more level or slightly falling tone (What's UP.).
  • Often shortened to Sup? with a quick, low intonation.
  • Stress is on UP.

Generation Differences

  • Most common among teens and young adults (roughly 15-40).
  • Older generations understand it but may use it less frequently.

Regional Variations

  • Extremely common in American English.
  • Used and understood in other English-speaking regions but might be perceived as distinctly American. Alright? (UK) or How's it going? are more common alternatives elsewhere.
How's it going?
🎲 How are you doing?