"How come" is an informal phrase used in spoken English (especially American) as a conversational substitute for "why," asking for the reason behind something, often with a tone of surprise or curiosity, fitting well in casual chats, headlines, or with friends, but generally avoided in formal writing like essays where "why" is preferred.
"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.
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.
As long as you're polite, feel free to say "Hi" or "Hello" as you normally would. Saying "Hello mate" is equivalent to saying "Hey dude", which is totally fine if you're friendly with the person.
What Is Their Main Difference? Both are words we use to question one's motives for doing something. However, 'why' is more formal and can be used in both formal and informal speech and writing, whereas, 'how come' is mainly informal. Additionally, when we use 'how come', we may not necessarily require an answer.
'How come' is common and grammatically correct English, but it is not proper English. In fact, “how come” is a colloquialism and has a slightly different use than “why.”
Definition of 'how come/how so'
' or 'How so? ' when you are surprised by something and are asking why it happened or was said. [informal] 'They don't say a single word to each other. '—'How come?'
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.
informal a person who is extremely skilful at some activity.
interjection. (used as a cry to attract attention from afar, or to show excitement, encouragement, enthusiasm, etc.)
Examples of Idioms
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.
“How come” is an informal way to ask why something happened or is happening. It's used in everyday conversation. Examples: ✅ How come you got it wrong? (Why did you get it wrong?)
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!?").
As it turns out, it is indeed grammatically correct and has slightly different usage from the word “why.”
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.
When do we use HOW COME? We use HOW COME when we want to ask WHY something happened. It is used in informal questions.
"How come" is believed to be short for "how did it come about that," "how is it that," or "how comes it."
"Oi" has been particularly associated with working class and Cockney speech. It is effectively a local pronunciation of "hoy" (see H-dropping), an older expression. A study of the Cockney dialect in the 1950s found that whether it was being used to call attention or as a challenge depended on its tone and abruptness.
💡: “Peng” is a British slang term that means something is attractive, appealing, or of excellent quality.