You’re not doing well.

[sexobon]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

… Anyway, the answer that usually comes out of my mouth is a wry "We're getting there!" with a big smile, hopefully conveying something along the lines of "It's shit, actually, but I'm keeping positive about the whole thing!" There used to be a (male) teacher at the school who always answered the question with, "Livin' the dream!" and I might try adopting that, since the more enthusiastically you say it, the more sarcastic it sounds.

My favorite reply, last used just a couple days ago, is "So far, so good." If I want to entertain the person asking, I'll say "So far, so good like in that old joke: On a beautiful spring day, people have their windows open to enjoy the fresh air when a man goes up on the roof of a ten story building and jumps off. As he's falling past the ninth floor, the eight floor, the seventh floor..., people inside could hear him saying, So far, so good. So far, so good."

My second favorite reply is adapted from the French. When they're asked the equivalent of "How's it going?", They reply "It goes." Likewise, my reply to "How are you doing?" becomes "I'm doin." (with a little *shrug*).