How Do You Do? (1946)

[Music] e how do you do how do you do how do you do please just how do you do that's one of the things this article brings out if I want to get off to a smooth start with people it's half the battle I find well maybe you'll understand why I feel that way if I tell you what happened to me last night I got so mixed up and embarrassed it was painful and quite unnecessary well I was having a cook with my next door neighbor and woy she's home from college for the holiday and such fun she makes everyone feel welcome I was having a wonderful time listening to her tell all about her College experiences until I happen to look up and see Frank Norton and Bill Phillips come in Frank's new in town he's smooth Everyone likes him as for Bill he's the type who usually puts his foot in it well meaning but sloppy you know I realized if they saw us I'd have to introduce them to Anne or and to them gosh I thought which is correct by the time they did see us I was in a dither they kept right on coming I kept right on trying to recall the correct way to introduce everyone properly and wishing I weren't so vague about such things for a moment I couldn't remember Anne's name I stumbled around Frank I said this is my friend no I mean uh uh this is a and me Frank oh dear I said I want you to to get to know each other this is Bill I said I felt so adolescent such a little thing to get so mixed up and excited about right then and there I decided it was high time I got the whole matter of introduction straight so i' never have to think twice about them again on the way out the feature article in this month's modern youth hit me between years eyes the Publishers must have had Second Sight when they put it in I bought the magazine to do a little homework and that's what I'm doing well we're all have to make a boner now and then once you learn the basic rules an accepted introduction isn't really so complicated is it no that's the point it's simple look persons of opposite sex address the woman first I should think watching other people you know have the correct technique would help exactly what this article says I was thinking about a committee meeting at Frank Norton's house the other night I didn't realize how well he handled those introductions but as I look back on it Miss Cameron my teacher Joan and I were the first to arrive the other two had never met Frank's parents but I knew everyone there so I said good evening M Norton good evening Peggy it's nice to see you again thank you then I stepped aside while Frank introduced the others miss Cameron this is my mother how do you do I'm glad to meet you at last miss Cameron Frank has talked about you so much until [Music] favorably mother Joan wood how do you do Joan how do you do Mrs Norton here's father well Peggy how are you this fine evening I'm just fine thank you Dr Norton I told you Peggy bill would be along excuse me hello Phil how are you hi Frank how you doing you're late oh what's the difference come on in meet everybody hey Peggy hello Bill sorry I'm late Dad this is Bill Phillips how do you do how do you do sir come on dad we'll meet the other miss Cameron this is my father how do you do miss Cameron how do you do dad I want to introduce you to to Joan Woods how do you do how do you do excuse me please would you excuse bill for a moment please Peggy certainly thank you mother I'd like to introduce Bill Phillips how do you do Frank tells me you're the captain of his basketball team well yes I am Mrs Norton well it's been nice to see all of you we'll leave you to your meeting now if you will excuse us they then said goodbye to us all and they left you see nobody squirmed at Frank's introductions they were all so simple and right to the point we can all probably learn something from your experience just be sure you didn't miss anything we can compare both these occasions with some of the points in the article would that do it it should let's start with the one about speaking the woman's name first when when introducing a man to her remember the mess you made of that one you got all mixed up to start with your friends got the idea all right but introductions like meet so and so or let me make you acquainted with so and so are considered awkward anyway let's see how Frank introduced his father to his teacher addressing the woman first he said miss Cameron this is my father how do you do miss Cameron how do you do there is one exception to the rule did you notice dad I want to introduce you to Joan Woods Frank addressed his father first out of respect even here he phrased the introduction so that he introduced the man to the girl let's have that one again Dad I want to introduce you to Joan Woods suppose Frank had wanted to introduce me to Joan he could take his choice it wouldn't matter since both of us are of the same age and sex now how about persons of the same sex here Frank wanted to show miss Cameron respect as a teacher and as a visitor in his home so he addressed her first he said simply miss Cameron this is my mother when he came to Joan and his mother he addressed his mother first because she was the older of the two he merely gave the name with a slight pause in between mother Joan wood when Frank introduced Bill he spoke to his father first because he was older hegy hello Bill sorry I'm late Dad this is Bill Phillips how do you do how do you do well that takes care of introductions but you can't leave the situation hanging there there's the matter of answering them unless you have a very good reason for saying something else stick to the accepted form and just say how do you do not how do you do and not how do you do just say it simply like Miss Cameron did how do you do Frank's mother wanted to make her response to miss Cameron a bit more personal since you had heard about her before naturally Miss C this is my mother how do you do I'm glad to meet you at last miss Cameron Frank has talked about you so much this was another good way to acknowledge an introduction wasn't it Frank's mother mentioned something in common so as to break the ice as I remember how do you do Frank tells me you're the captain of his basketball team well yes I am Mrs Norton it's a good policy to fix a person's name by making it a part of your response as Frank's mother and Joan did mother Joan Woods how do you do Joan how do you do Mrs Norton men do shake hands but not as if approaching a time bomb or hand toand combat Dad this is Bill Phillips how do you do how do you do that just a comfortable firm grasp is all that is necessary men Do Not Shake Hands with women unless the woman holds out her hand first remember I said bill was kind of sloppy about such things but since bill was a stranger to Anne she could have held out hers first right right if Bill had been a stranger brought up perly to meet her she should offer her hand the same rule holds for two girls it looks this time as if Bill did the right thing he waited for Mrs Norton to offer her hand mother I'd like to introduce Bill Philip how do you do yes the woman always takes the initiative when it comes to shaking hands with a man what else how about Rising when should a man ride when should a girl oh yes let me see I I'll have to dream up a situation imagine Frank sitting there where I was then imagine me bringing Joan to introduce him to her Frank would rise the moment he realizes I'm bringing someone to be introduced to him he would rise also if I brought Bill instead of Joan uh and either time he look as if it were a pleasure not a hardship as for girls well Joan would have risen as soon as she was introduced to Frank's mother or father if either of them had been standing well I guess that takes care of nearly everything it's all a matter of practice now if you'll excuse me I have a chance to put these rules into practice a party at Franks oh Peggy yes wasn't there something in that article about how you carry out those basic rules you mean all the rules in the world W make people glad to meet an automaton it the warmth in the greeting the feeling you put behind it that count gosh didn't I say anything about that why that's the most important point of all how's Piggy getting along h a good student Peggy learns quickly following those few basic rules pays off wait and see it's fun to meet people when you feel it EAS what's more fun is the way people will enjoy meeting [Music] you see all's well that big begins [Music] well