Date:  Fri, 24 Oct 1997 11:33:35 -0500
From:  Thomas Creswell <creswell[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]CROWN.NET>
Subject: Re: "How are you doing?"

Ron Butters wrote:
>
> "How are you doing?" does have some kind of primary communicative function it
> seems to me, i.e., it means something like 'I am willing to have a
> conversation with you and am soliciting your first conversational move'. Of
> course, it is not always sincere.

Yes, and the usual response is something like "OK" or "Fine" or "Hanging
in," evem from a hospital bed. So much for the solicitation of first
conversational moves. Anyone who goes into greater detail is usually
classified as a literal-minded bore.