how come?

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Idioms and Phrases

How is it that, as in How come you're not attending the conference? Sometimes how come follows a statement and asks the question “why” or “in what way,” as in You're not going? How come? The related phrase how so? functions the same way, as in You say she's changed her mind—how so? How come is short for how did it come about that and dates from the mid-1800s; how so , short for how is it so or how is it that, dates from about 1300.

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Example Sentences

Well, one evenin' Labe was comin' home pretty how-come-you-so, and he fell into Jonadab Wixon's well.

From Project Gutenberg

Of course, I was used with hospitality; and I was a leetle 'how-come-you-so?'

From Project Gutenberg

Well, he was feelin' how-come-ye-so, an' he dhrifted over to where we was holdin' a fair.

From Project Gutenberg

Dey wouldn' take no whippin off dey Massa en dat how-come dey get rid of em.

From Project Gutenberg

We was raise decent, honey, en dat how-come me en my chillun is dat way to dis very day.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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