"What's Up?"

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Well, Abomination, I hate it when strangers try shifting the burden of choosing the topic on me. I've heard lines like "what will you say to me?" from strangers, and a mere "what's up" pales before those. However, a line such as "about what would you like to talk?" may suggest that the person is politely letting his desired interlocutor choose the topic without the inconvenience of having the said topic forced by a stranger. But it needs a certain concerned tone, not an underlying relief.

Men I expect to have something really interesting to say and stick to business if they haven't. Women I expect to show some more effort than giving me to understand "you can start hitting on me now", although if they seem somewhat intimidated, I might take the conversation in my own hands. But I'm always careful not to seem more interested "this way" than I really am. Especially if I'm taken or in love with someone else.

Agreed, though, that "what's up" from a stranger is improper, even if we have no issue with shifting the burden of choosing the topic. I expect to hear some kind of "excuse me". I don't always expect proper introduction simply because I'm not interested in knowing names of persons I'm not going to meet again, and because knowing names is not part of dealing with minute business in my book.

 

hehe overanalysis its just an expression and you usually don't really expect an answer. Whenever you're introduced to someone (well here at least) you just say "hey, whats up dude." its more of an extension of a greeting than an actual question. when its "whats up? how you (been) doin'?" osr something like that, it means they're actually asking

 

I never, never say "hey what's up dude" when introduced to someone. When I'm introduced and someone else has already said my name, I preferably don't say anything and just shake hands if the other person is male or take a bow if the person is female, unless she stretches her hand out or displays the cheek. And I never call anyone "dude".

Using phrases contrary to their literal meaning, like "what's up" instead of "hello" when noting really bars anyone from saying "hello" or "hey" makes little sense.

 

The joys of rap/hip-hop culture have taken their toll. I don't find the phrase offensive, just rude.

This is basically the definition of someone attempting to be 'cool', 'with the play' or 'up wit' it' etc. My most recent run-in was with someone attempting to talk to me in Snoop Dog's 'izzile' language. Frankly I just ignored him after the 3rd word. The English language is fine, why try to change it when nothing has been invented?

 

*Buggs Bunny Imitation* "Mnjaah *crunchychrunch* What's up, Doc?"

 

Here's sums more:

Hows it hanging? (always good for a comical reply)
S'up?
Ay' up!
Ay yo!
A'ight!

and all I've never known how to respond to without being sarcastic.

As for saying "whats up?" I guess it means whats good? as in are you happy? as in you look like a miserable git, or maybe its just slang for "hi", which would make more sense. Maybe we should try and stay away from why the french and the spanish use the same words for "hi" and "goodbye"...oh well...

 

Ay' Up means hello.

 

I thought Ay was always Hey, but then Hey up wouldnt make any sense, unless somthing was about to fall on your head... so would Hey yo... now I'm confused...

 

I generally hear this phrase used as a response when I approach someone and greet them. It is used to query the purpose of my visit.

 

its an expression, not everyone uses it :/ Its a person's personal preference. over here most people in my age group (13-21) use it.

 

Perhaps it is but a matter of personal preference, but I still resent being called "dude". It's better than being called "bro" or "dog", but not quite yet what I would like. Of course, I'm not going to give a lecture immediately, but you can bet I won't really love the conversation.

Know what you feel. When I hear that kind of speech, I ask "speak English/Polish/whatever, please". The funny thing is that sometimes they ask this of me first.

Don't get me wrong, using big words and complicated grammar on people who have other things to do in life than academics is not really my style, but some standards must be kept.

 

Just leave it up to you guys to create a perfect storm in a glass of water.

 

Yeah guys, it is just slang. It's not like we're speaking Engrish or anything.

 

Rofl. Wow guys.

 

Actually, it's "dawg" (not "dog"), as in "Yo dawg, 'sup?"

Jeez chev, you're so, like, squaresville. Like, totally.

 

Entirely. Most certainly so.

 

A basic rule:

Whatever, whenever, someone or anyone enters a conversation, you can answer with a simple 'meh' and it is still valid.

 

Personally, if I meet a new person, I feed off their attitude as to how I greet them but usually it's with the kind of regard that chev has been mentioning. If, on the other hand, I happen to meet up with someone I already know, then something along the lines of "Hey ugly, how's things?" will suffice. Or "Hey stranger" if it's been a while since I last saw them.

But if it happens to be my brother-in-law that I meet up with I ususally stick to "How you going sexy?"

 

ROLMAO! Man Splunge, you are one of the cool old guys. One of the ones you can speak slang to and be understood.

 

@Aldazar: Well... friends are a bit different. I've been through "hey, sexy", "hey, sweetheart" to/from friends (female) or "hey, ugly", "hey, ****er" (male). But I really, really, don't want to hear such things from strangers.

I've even had a couple of friends like that guy with whom we've been through various things and some of our greetings had better not be quoted to children (but they're still grammatically and syntactically correct, of course), or that classmate girl with whom we flirted so much and in such a way (i.e. while we were not actually quarrelling ) that people thought we were married. But damn, those were not strangers. And they came up with a bit more complex opening lines, so an occasional "what's up" equivalent wasn't so bad.