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Mon 17 Oct, 2016 05:13 am
How are you?
In order to study English, one way I do is watching the same movie over and over again. My current choice is 'Liar Liar'
Fletcher, having met his son and gotten sad, comes back to his office.
He's greeted by one of his colleagues.
He goes,
'How's it hangin'?'
Fletcher answers,
"Short, shriveled and always to the left."
I looked up the dictionary to find out what it means.
Here are explanations from the Urban Dictionary.
(http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=how%27s%20it%20hangin%27 )
1. How's it hangin' is a very informal way to say hello to your fellow.
2. How's it hangin is a polite greeting from one man to another. "It", in the context, is the man's penis.
No. 1 is understandable as 'it' means dick, it can't help but being informal.
Then, how come, as in 2, it can also be 'a polite greeting'?
Can 'informal' and 'polite' go together?
One more thing is,
Fletcher answered, 'Short, shriveled and always to the left.'
The example from the urban dictionary coincidentally used the word 'left'
Here it is.
- Hi, Mike, how's it hangin'?
- A little bit to the left.
So, if you're not feeling good, you can say 'it' is to the LEFT?
I have no idea what the fact your 'thing' is to the left implies,
from the medical point of view.
Is it generally considered bad when your stuff is bent to the left?
Then, can you say that it is to the right when you feel great?
Where I live, Korea, has no concept like that,
and no one would know what that signifies - your dick placed to either direction.
'
Is this too silly to be a question?
I'd appreciate your comment.
@SMickey,
Long and strong.
Quote:Where I live, Korea, has no concept like that,
and no one would know what that signifies - your dick placed to either direction.
'
I'm saddened, yet simultaneously surprised at your revelation about the pleasantry.
One either dresses to the left or the right according to all the very best dressers and bespoke tailors.
@SMickey,
'How's it hangin'?' is always informal. The Urban Dictionary is useful but not very exacting.
Saying to the left or right continues the informal joke. It's not meant to imply good or bad.
@SMickey,
SMickey wrote:
2. How's it hangin is a polite greeting from one man to another. "It", in the context, is the man's penis.
<snip>
Is this too silly to be a question?
It may be informal, but it might not be well received. Unless you have a very good feel for the language, I suggest you don't use it at all. Obviously, you would never use it when talking with a woman.
Not a silly question. I dread the though of you using it without knowing what it means.
@engineer,
engineer wrote:
'How's it hangin'?' is always informal. The Urban Dictionary is useful but not very exacting.
Saying to the left or right continues the informal joke. It's not meant to imply good or bad.
Agreeing about Urban Dictionary, although it's a good source for trending stuff, and for a good laugh.
Au contraire re good or bad engineer.
Years ago, I was informed a sweet little octogenarian, "A gentleman hangs to the right, a rogue, to the left."
Yes ma'm.
@roger,
This, from Urban Dictionary, on that matter...
"I decided to dress left for the first time today, and it's a whole new world!"
@chai2,
How does Urban Dictionary define "Out to Lunch"?
Once something crosses into popular parlance its origin becomes obscured. I'm sure many people who use the phrase How's it hanging, know it refers to the penis, but many just think it's another way to say How are you.
This is particularly true of rhyming slang in Britain, people use butchers to mean look without knowing it's rhyming slang. Berk is another, it now means idiot, quite a mild insult but originally the phrase was Berkshire Hunt, not so mild.
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