How goes it? What say you?

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

How common is the phrase “How goes it”?

TOEFL listening lectures: Which aspect of bee behavior does the professor mainly discuss?

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No very common at all.
‘How’s it going?’ is usual.

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3

Rarely though, have I heard ‘How goes everything?’.

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4

Hi Torsten,

Not that unusual - often said in a kind of mock ‘Shakespeare’ style? Likewise you hear - What say you? What think you?

Alan

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Hi Alan, well I came across it in an episode of ‘Breaking Bad’ and it was part of a casual conversation. So maybe it’s pretty popular in the US?

Also, what’s interesting about these constructions is that they follow the exact same pattern as equivalent questions in German.

TOEFL listening lectures: A lecture in social science class

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6

I used to hear it sometimes. I haven’t heard it for a long time. It’s possible that people still say it and I just haven’t heard it.

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It’s not common. A little odd, but then I know some odd people. I like @Alan’s comment about “mock Shakespeare style”.

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8

I heard Glenda Jackson use these phrases when she played the role of Elizabeth R. But, indeed, it sounds like what you call mock ‘Shakespeare Style’.

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