how come en · ADV
Pronunciation
Etymology
Earliest use in its modern form can also be found in The Trial of Titus Oates, referring to a trial that took place in 1685: :* 1730, F. Hargrave, A Complete Collection of State-Trials and Proceedings for High-Treason, and Other Crimes and Misdemeanours; from the Reign of King Richard II. to the End of the Reign of King George I, volume 4: Mrs. A. Ireland It was on Saturday Morning, as I remember, the 3rd of August, the Saturday after St. Ignatius's Day. L. C. J. How come you remember so particularly, that it was then? In this text, it also co-occurs with forms such as "How come she to lie there?" and "How come you to remember those Days of the Month?". Compare West Frisian hoe kom (“how come”), Dutch hoe komt het (“how comes it; why”), Afrikaans hoekom (“how come; why”). According to Partridge's slang dictionary: US English, 1848, probably from older forms such as "How comes it that... ?" or "How does it come that... ?" and "How did it come to be like this?"
Meanings
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(idiomatic, informal) Why; why is it; for what reason or purpose; due to what cause?
How come you didn’t leave when you had the chance?
"Oh, yeah? The old days? Is that when you got your tattoo?" "Yeah. I'm an alcoholic. Used to get in a lot of trouble. Been sober for eight years." "Then how come everyone's scared of you?"
1992, Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash, page 322:Ma: "Jethro, I told you to get rid of them worn-out brakes." Jethro: "I did, ma! That's how come we ain't got none!"
1962, “The Clampetts Strike Oil” (08:19 from the start), in The Beverly Hillbillies, season 1:
Descendants
Relateds
Synonyms
Translations (56)
af hoekom (why) · ro cum se face (why) · pt por quê (why) · pl jakże (why) · fi miksi (why) · eo kial (why) · cs jak to, že (why) · pt como (why) · vi tại sao (why) · nl hoe komt het dat (why) · nl waarom (why) · pl dlaczego (why) · ru почему́ же (why) · az nə əcəb (why) · es ¿cómo así (why) · fa چرا (why) · ru почему́ (why) · sv varför (why) · ru как так (why) · da hvorfor (why) · fr pourquoi (why) · pl jak to (why) · tl bakit (why) · cs jak to přijde, že (why) · de wieso (why) · fi minkä takia (why) · bg как така (why) · sv hur kommer det sig (why) · uk як так (why) · fr comment se fait-ce que (why) · ro cum de (why) · ca com és? (why) · ru как это так (why) · he מַדּוּעַ (why) · is Af hverju (why) · ca com així? (why) · cs proč (why) · ru почему́ э́то (why) · pl czemu (why) · de wie kommt es dass (why) · vi tai sao (why) · it come mai (why) · es ¿cómo es que (why) · cmn 為什麼 /为什么 (why) · de warum (why) · cmn 怎麼 /怎么 (why) · ja 何で (why) · hy ինչպես է ստացվում (why) · hu hogyhogy (why) · fr comment se fait-il que (why) · bg защо (why) · ko 왜 (why) · es ¿cómo así? ¿y eso? (why) · el πώς κι έτσι (why) · ka როგორ მოხდა (why) · fr comment ça se fait que (why)