h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Mind you, in parts of Jutland, farmers will sometimes have a tendency to not jump into high praise about anything.

Like in "how was the harvest?" after a fabulous year having had all the sun and rain needed on all the right times... The answer might go "wasn't the worst we've seen" ('det var såmænd ikk' værst')

On the other hand, I had a British colleague who infuriated his American colleagues by invariably answering "I'm good", with the emphasis very much on the "good" when they asked him how he was...

I think I could handle that.

I always answer 'fine or good' to 'how are you?' it's a reflex response.

If I have had a bad day and want to moan about it then I will make sure that the person actually wants to hear first.

We have quite some other polite ways of greeting which doesn't involve any question. Usually we actually don't want to know how other people are doing, do we? So why to ask? Traditions, culture.

'So why to ask?' Hati, I've heard my mother, my grandmother, and all the great-aunts ask that question. They usually have a look of exasperation when they ask it... There's no answer, of course, except that people are .

Okay, so that's very estonian question.

It's a very sensible and intelligent question - it's just that there's no sensible answer.

I see.