Definition of: "how come" with explanation and origin
Definition of: how come with explanation and origin? Meaning of how come with examples in English idiom dictionary.
| English | English |
|
|
Definition of: "how come" with explanation and origin
how come
how come
Meaning
- why or how
- ask a question
- why did something happen?
- saying you don’t understand
- why is that?
- used to ask about the reason for something
Example Sentences
- How come you are not going to the party?
- How come the building collapsed?
- You received the wedding invitation, how come I didn’t?
- How come that sports car has a low price?
- How come you are always late for our meetings, yet you stay across the street?
- The sun is hot today. How come you have winter clothes?
- How come Russia produces the minimum food waste per capita?
Origin
According to etymology, the idiom “how come” is a short form of “how does it come to be?” The earliest reference in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) for the idiom “how come” appears in Bartlett’s Dictionary of Americanisms, published in 1848. Although the OED claims that “how come” was invented in the United States, Bartlett’s article shows that it was coined in England. It reads, “Doubtless an English phrase, brought over by the original settlers.“
Whether or not “how come” came from the United States, it is far more popular in American English than in British English.
There are several different older records of the phrase available which claim to be the oldest. But the fact remains that the phrase began to appear in print as early as the 1500s. A search in Google Books confirms it. Since most of the books are from England, it reinforces the fact that the idiom actually originated in England and later became more common in America.
The Origins of how come
AssortedEnglish
Related Dictionary
- English Definition & Meaning Dictionary
- English Idioms and phrases Dictionary
- Dictionnaire Français
- Dictionnaire d'expressions idiomatiques et de phrases en français
Read more
- Definition of "in bed with" in English?
- Definition of "foot in the door" in English?
- Definition of "blank check" in English?
- Definition of "not have a clue" in English?
- Definition of "in the pink" in English?
- Definition of "on the line" in English?
- Definition of "easier said than done" in English?
- Definition of "have designs on" in English?
- Definition of "faint of heart" in English?
- Definition of "cross paths" in English?
- Definition of "all the way up" in English?
- Definition of "child’s play" in English?
- Definition of "the other side of the coin" in English?
- Definition of "between the devil and the deep blue sea" in English?
- Definition of "lights are on but nobody is home" in English?
- Definition of "hit the hay" in English?
- Definition of "hit the sack" in English?
- Definition of "on the blink" in English?
- Definition of "hand in hand" in English?
- Definition of "light of one’s life" in English?
English Idioms and phrases
An idiom is a common word or phrase with a figurative, non-literal meaning that is understood culturally and differs from what its composite words' denotations would suggest; i.e. the words together have a meaning that is different from the dictionary definitions of the individual words (although some idioms do retain their literal meanings – see the example "kick the bucket" below). By another definition, an idiom is a speech form or an expression of a given language that is peculiar to itself grammatically or cannot be understood from the individual meanings of its elements.[3] For example, an English speaker would understand the phrase "kick the bucket" to mean "to die" – and also to actually kick a bucket. Furthermore, they would understand when each meaning is being used in context.
To evoke the desired effect in the listener, idioms require a precise replication of the phrase: not even articles can be used interchangeably (e.g. "kick a bucket" only retains the literal meaning of the phrase but not the idiomatic meaning).
Idioms should not be confused with other figures of speech such as metaphors, which evoke an image by use of implicit comparisons (e.g., "the man of steel"); similes, which evoke an image by use of explicit comparisons (e.g., "faster than a speeding bullet"); or hyperbole, which exaggerates an image beyond truthfulness (e.g., "more powerful than a locomotive"). Idioms are also not to be confused with proverbs, which are simple sayings that express a truth based on common sense or practical experience.
