Formalities Under Question
Case 1
Person: How’s it going, Ricardo. How is your girlfriend?
Experimenter: What do you mean “how is she”? Do you mean physically or mentally?
P: I mean how is she doing. What’s wrong with you? (He appeared bothered.)
E: Nothing. I’m just asking you to explain what you want to say a bit more clearly.
P: Forget it. How goes your admissions application to the College of Medicine?
E: What do you mean by “how goes?”
P: Oh, you know what I’m asking.
E: No, not really.
P: What’s wrong, then? Are you sick?
Case 2
The victim extended his hand cordially.
P: How are you?
E: How am I as far as what? My health, finances, my job at the university, my peace of mind, what?
P: (With flushed face and no self-control.) Listen! I was only trying to be polite. Honestly, it doesn’t matter to me how you are.
Garfinkel, 1967.
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