Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 122, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 May 1913 — PUT BAN ON “HOW DO YOU DO” [ARTICLE]

PUT BAN ON “HOW DO YOU DO”

French Society Regards the Salutation as Meaningless and Lame—New One to Be Used. Paris. —A movement is on in society to banish from conversation and ban the generally meaningless phrasei, “How do you do?” and put in its place some less insipid formula. People are pointing out that of one hundred persons inquiring thus after one’s health no three are really interested in the subject, and no answer is either given or expected on either side. If one be well the inquiry is an idle one, while if one be ill it leads to an interminable discussion of symptoms, remedies, doctor* etc., which should find no place in ordinary small talk. The general opinion is that the offending phrase must be relegated to those who have not enough intelligence to begin talk in any other way, and a search is being made, for some other set of words with which to open a dialogue. It is probable that the laconic Roman “Salve” will be adopted in the French form, Je vous (te) salue.