Meaning
What does How Are You Holding Up mean?
How are you holding up is an alternative way of saying “How are you doing?”
Typically, it is meant for someone who recently found themselves in a difficult situation, struggles in life, or lost somebody and is mourning.
Sometimes we use this expression in a more literal sense, when we want to figure out what method the subject uses to cope with a certain set of obstacles.
Origin
What's the origin of How Are You Holding Up?
There is no official reference on the origin of “how are you holding up?” However, the sentence structure suggests that it has a modern heritage tracing back a few decades.
Spread & Usage
How did How Are You Holding Up spread?
In January 2021, an image macro meme was posted on the Facebook page Amreading, featuring a picture of a collapsed pillar of a building, with the caption: “Them: How are you holding up?; Me: ”
External resources
- English-grammar-lessons.com – How Are You Holding Up?
- Ksat.com – We asked how you’re holding up: 13 responses that will make you feel less alone