To say "how come," you're using an informal, conversational way to ask "why," often sounding gentler and more curious about the process or reason something happened, rather than questioning its purpose; it's common in spoken American and British English, as a shortened form of "how did it come about that". You use it like "Why are you late?" but say, "How come you're late?" or "How come it always rains?".
The Merriam-Webster Learner's Dictionary says “how come” is “used to ask why something has happened or is true.” It is a short form of “how did it come about that.” The dictionary also says the expression is usually found in the United States and is used in casual speech.
Both ?! and !? are acceptable in informal writing (like texts or social media) to show a question mixed with surprise or shock, with the order often showing emphasis on the emotion or the question, though the choice is generally a matter of personal preference or style. There's no strict rule, but some feel ?! emphasizes the shock in a question ("What are you doing?!") while !? emphasizes surprise at a statement ("You did that!?").
People have been using how come? to mean "why?" since at least the mid-19th century. And why shouldn't they? We don't think they shouldn't at all, in fact. It's useful. There's no reason to avoid it when you want an informal tone.
'How come' is more common in the United States than in Britain. The oldest reference for “how come” in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is an entry in Bartlett's Dictionary of Americanisms published in 1848.
"Hoo-ha" (or hoo-hah) slang means a noisy fuss, commotion, or excitement, often over something trivial, but it can also euphemistically refer to female genitalia. It's an informal term for a "brouhaha," "hullabaloo," or general to-do, signifying uproar or fuss, but sometimes used to describe a state of arousal or, less commonly, male anatomy, though its primary use is for commotion or female anatomy.
The term is a derivation of the old English word 'whatnot', which dates back to the mid-16th century and, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, can be used to mean 'anything', 'everything', or 'all sorts of things.
The idiom 'how come' is American in origin, and dates back to the mid-19th century. It is essentially a shortened form of 'How does it come to be?
No, ?! isn't standard grammatical punctuation for formal writing, but it's widely accepted and common in informal contexts like dialogue, emails, and social media to show a mix of surprise and questioning, often represented by an interrobang (‽), with some preferring ?! for emphasis on the question and !? for emphasizing the surprise. While grammar rules prefer single ending marks, these combinations convey tone where words can't.
“It almost feels too professional,” Hunder said. For one, Gen Z and Millennials generally don't communicate formally online. Texting is an informal kind of communication, so most of the time punctuation is omitted since it doesn't serve a necessary purpose. The text alone is its own thought.
John and me and John and I are both grammatically correct, however, they should not be used interchangeably. To decide which phrase is correct, remove “John and” from the sentence to see if the sentence still makes sense. For example: John and I went to the theme park.
Both ?! and !? are acceptable in informal writing (like texts or social media) to show a question mixed with surprise or shock, with the order often showing emphasis on the emotion or the question, though the choice is generally a matter of personal preference or style. There's no strict rule, but some feel ?! emphasizes the shock in a question ("What are you doing?!") while !? emphasizes surprise at a statement ("You did that!?").
Examples of Idioms
Which is correct, I will come tomorrow, or I'm coming tomorrow? Both sentences are grammatically correct, yet they are used differently. The use of “will + infinitive” is for either an intention or a quick decision. This means “I will come tomorrow” is for an idea that I intend to do but have not decided on yet.
99% of the time, the NT meaning in chat means nice try, especially in the competitive gaming world.
It's one of those words which occurs quite often in speech, especially informal speech, but very rarely in writing, even highly informal.
Other forms: whatnots. Whatnot is another word for odds and ends. Whatnot also means etcetera, so it often comes at the end of a list. On top of a dresser, there might be souvenirs, snow globes, a collection of porcelain pigs, and whatnot.
Uh-oh is an interjection, meaning it's a term used to express emotion, often outside of a sentence. Uh-oh is usually only used in response to situations that are mildly bad or unfortunate, like minor mistakes or setbacks—you wouldn't say uh-oh in response to a tragedy or something very serious.
Meaning of hoo-ha in English
an occasion when there is too much interest in or discussion about something that is not important: One of the tabloids published the pictures and they caused a great hoo-ha. Synonyms. commotion. disturbance.
Meaning of lemme in English
short form of "let me": "Lemme guess," he said. "You didn't do it." Allowing and permitting.
Blimey. Interpretation: A way of expressing surprise, amazement, or even wonder. In American English, you'd probably hear a "wow" instead. In use: "Blimey, it's late!
“Blimey!” “Blimey” is a shortened form of 'Gor blimey', a term which dates back to the 19th century. It means 'God blind me', and is used as an expression of surprise – a bit like oh my god!