Date:  Thu, 23 Oct 1997 10:20:33 EDT
From:  Julia Cochran <COCPROFS[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]UGA.CC.UGA.EDU>
Subject: Re: Bless You

On Wed, 22 Oct 1997 21:56:16 -0400 Jody said:
>I assume that all of this discussion about politeness and the decline
>thereof in the linguistic sense can also be seen in those that use the
>so-called "polite" terms, as we have come to consider them, when they
>mean absolutely nothing by the endearments. Why ask an acquaintance (or
>even stranger) "How are you doing?" if you don't care to hear the actual
>answer to the question. Is it supposed to be some sort of hypothetical
>question? I would prefer being ignored to being asked a question as such
>and refused a chance to answer that very question. My suggestion, don't
>even TRY to be polite if you couldn't care less.

"How are you doing?" is not a true question. It is the equivalent of a canine
tail-wag. If someone wags at me, I wag back, even if the wag is in the guise
of a question. Among this tail-challenged human species, sometimes a verbal
format is the best we can muster.