When did 'hey, how are you?' become a normal opening greeting in the UK?

[Lucia23]

I'm wondering if this, or some form of this greeting has always existed or not - and also if it is generational.

I'm a millennial and everyone in my age group tends to greet each other like this when meeting. Every single morning my colleagues ask this question too, one after the other. During times when I have been depressed I've found it particularly difficult to answer with the expected 'fine'. But even during a normal period, I find it annoying.

My grandparents never greeted anyone this way right off the bat. My parents never used to either, but now I notice they use this exact sentence as their first greeting to me in the last few years.

Am I wrong in thinking this is more recent, or has it always been a popular greeting? I find it invasive and irritating - although pretend to be easy going about it and answer with 'fine' !

@Siriisatwat

I always say “Morning”, “afternoon” or, “evening”.

I feel like I need a hat to tip while I say it.

Might just buy a top hat and do this from now on.

I'm Yorkshire, here it's either 'morning' then 'morning' back, or 'alright?' Usually with 'yes thanks,you?' 'Yes' and done - never any more deep than that..

You should come to rural NI. Try figuring out the answer to “how’s she cuttin’ bai?”

@Santastuckincustoms

I'm from the west country and it's 'y'rite?'

This

Followed by yeah, you? As reply

@hemhem

Is it the "Hey" or the "How are you" that irritates? I find Hey as a greeting a bit too casual for work, but I can live with it. I'm Gen X.

You'd hate my work. We all use hiya, end our emails with x and use emojis 😂 Tbf were all millennials/Gen Z though.

never realised how uptight some people are. It’s just a greeting! I doubt they really care. I’ll think twice about using it at work in case my colleagues are secretly like people on this thread.

It isn't about being uptight @Snoopsnoggysnog.

I am probably more sensitive to it due to mental health issues. There have been several periods where I couldn't bear the faux 'how are you' greeting because I was actually dying inside. I genuinely found it hard to deal with.

Now my mental health is on a more even keel I just find it irritating. Of course it seems like I'm in the minority so!

@Lucia23

😊 Thanks.

I think its a cultural thing. Reminds me of the time I went back to London after travelling in Latin America for 4 months.

I would greet anybody I made eye contact with (considered exceptionally rude not to in LA). Did it a few times on the tube .... got some very strange looks. 🤣🤣🤣

Also the last time I was in the UK in 2018 - I got chatting to a lady at the till in Marks. She told me I was the nicest person she'd met in years. I thought that was a bit dramatic. Now I understand why.

I’m sorry to hear about your mental health OP.
I would try to see past it and treat it as a rhetorical question as others have said. I don’t think people really expect an answer.

If you want hi American reality TB from ten years ago, they all say this. Then it comes over here. There's no stopping it.

I’m down south. For many years (20+) the casual greeting of an acquaintance in passing goes like this;
Person 1; y’alright (accompanied by a nod of the head)
Person 2 responds: y’alright (also accompanied by a nod of the head)

If it’s someone you are particularly pleased to see, but don’t have time to stop and chat, it might extend to a very cheerful “hiya y’alright” with a nod and a smile!

I think it's generally just a friendly greeting and people do not expect an answer.

I live in Ireland and its common to greet people with "hi, how are you?". Its fine to just smile and say "hi" back or depending on the situation it can be a bit of a conversation starter. For example if you feel like chatting you could say "Hi, I'm OK, a bit tired, ds woke up during the night ..bla bla bla"
I think it leaves the option open for a chat if you want one and seems a bit friendlier than just saying " Good Morning", "Good afternoon" etc

When I visited friends in the north of England everyone seemed to greet each other with "all right?". The answer seemed to be "all right". I thought that seemed nice and friendly too.

@Santastuckincustoms

I'm from the west country and it's 'y'rite?'

Yes it is, people pull me up on this all the time!

two fat gentlemen met in the lane
bowed most politely and bowed once again
how do you do? and how do you do?
and how do you do again!

I think it’s normal. Generally “hi how are you?” is met with
“Yeah, you?”
“Hiya”
“Good thanks”
“Morning”

You don’t have to be honest unless you know the person well. If someone really wants to know how someone is they ask “how’s everything with you?” which is intended for a longer answer.

Hey, how are you? Is akin to saying “howdy”

For last 30 yrs, Norfolk has been "Alright then?" ville

Sprinkled in with the occasional " 'Ow boutchee?"

What really flummoxes me is the perfunctory “enjoy your day” at 8pm at the supermarket checkout.

You might have not long got up for a late shift. It'd still be your 'day' I suppose?

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

And the correct answer to ‘alright?’ Is ‘Yeah, you?’

Yep this is the one

Since all the 80’s/90’s TVs for free to with sky etc and more American channels grew up and are now 30-40!

Now everyone can access it all the time so the language changes

Since all the 80’s/90’s kids that grew up with sky etc

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

I just say ‘alright?’

I am from Yorkshire though! That’s what everyone says. Language just evolves.

or 'not bad'

I grew up with ‘how’s it goin’?’ (Or gaun, depending on strength of accent).

The correct repose to ‘awright?’ Is ‘aye, You?’ In my experience.

I've never ever had anyone say how do you do! My grandparents never said it to anyone and they would be around 120 now!

Round here it's always been

Alright?
Also
How's it going?
Hello How are you if posher.

The answer to these is-

Alright?
Not bad ta you?
If walking past the return question is generally ignored!

How's it going?
Fine thanks you?
How are you?
Good thanks, you?

They're generic things to say. Not actual questions.

It’s been around since ‘How do you do?’ (to which the polite response is ‘How do you do?’) — it’s rhetorical in both cases. It’s not an enquiry about your happiness.