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How To Reply When Someone Says What’s Up, Wassup, Or Sup

Slang quickly becomes embedded in the idiolect of users and their social circles, but before it sinks into the natural flow of language, it can’t half be a source of confusion!

Don’t worry though; new words and phrases, especially those associated with a popular way of speaking, always feel awkward at first.

How To Reply When Someone Says What’s Up, Wassup, Or Sup

Even fairly rudimentary and widespread terms such as “sup?”, “wassup?”, or “what’s up?” can leave you guessing how to use and reply to them.

They sound silky smooth coming off the tongue of the user, but their journey through their ear (or more specifically, the brain) isn’t quite as seamless, leaving you unsure how to respond.

Thankfully, “sup?”, “wassup?”, and “what’s up?” all have very much the same sentiment, one that’s quite easy to glean.

When someone opens an interaction with one of these phrases, they’re simply saying, “hello” or “how are you?”.

As such, there are countless ways to reply, and I’m going to be running through the most suitable today.

Responding To “What’s Up?”

The first thing to understand about “what’s up?” is that it’s very rarely an invitation to go on a long-winded explanation of how your life is going.

Let’s take a look at some of the quick-fire, shoot-from-the-hip-style responses you can sling out during brief interactions or introductions.

  • “Hey”
  • “Not much”
  • “Nothing”
  • “Nothing much”
  • “Same old”
  • “Same old same”
  • “Can’t complain”
  • “All good”

Should you have time to enter into a short conversation after hearing “what’s up?” or one of its derivatives, you simply have to acknowledge the introduction and then ask an introductory question in return.

You could say…

  • “Not much, you?”
  • “Nothing new. Sup with you?”
  • “Good, how are you?”
  • All’s well. What’s up with you?”
  • “How long have you got? It’s been a day.”
  • “Same old. What’s new with you?”
  • “Got a moment to chat? I’ve got so much to tell you.”
  • “You don’t want to know. How about you?”
  • “Nothing much. How about you?”
  • “The usual. How are things?”

How To Get A Laugh When Responding To “What’s Up?”

Sometimes humor is the best way to kick-start an interaction, and “what’s up?” provides the perfect setup for countless jokes that will make your co-conversationalist giggle, helping to break the ice and put an end to the small talk, so real talk can begin.

Let’s take a look at some of your hilarious options…

  • “Nothin’ but the sky.”

Taking the introduction literally can lead to lots of laughs and a more free-flowing conversation.

  • “The ceiling.”

The same principles apply here. Although it doesn’t actually communicate how you’re doing, the humorous, mis-framed response implies you’re getting by just fine.

  • “Not your zipper, that’s for sure.”

This is a real hoot and a holler when said to the right person, as they’ll think you’re being serious and look down to check their zipper.

Their panic will quickly turn into amusement when they see that their zipper is fine.

It might be weird to say to someone who you’re not too familiar with, though, as it can come across as rude, awkward, or judgmental.

Saying it to a lady in a dress is another unique way to get some laughs, as the absence of a zipper makes it rather abstract, as if you’re making fun of funny responses others use. Again, though, you have to be careful to who you say this.

They need a pre-existing understanding of your sense of humor to understand what you’re getting at.

  • “I don’t know. I’ve never been there.”

This one’s ripped straight from Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Sometimes it falls flat, but as long as the recipient knows what you’re referencing and you deliver it deadpan, it’ll go down a storm.

  • “My rent!”

The cost of living is constantly rising, but with this response, you can make light of a terrible situation as well as establish some common ground with the recipient before the conversation has really begun.

It’s mature humor, which makes it all the funnier when young people use this response, as if to poke fun at older generations — Harmless fun of course.

  • “My blood pressure.”

This response lets someone know that you’re having a day in a concise and funny way.

Careful, though, some might take it to mean that the interaction itself is the thing that’s raising your blood pressure — Awkward!

  • “My cholesterol.”

Here’s a bit of black humor that intimates that you’re not living the healthiest of lifestyles but are aware of it.

As we get older, this may become more and more literal, so when you’re up there in the years, prepare for the recipient to look concerned.

  • “A chicken’s ass when it eats.”

Conjuring a vivid image, this overly literal and irreverent answer is sure to generate some hearty hyucks!

  • “The opposite of down.”

Here’s another sarcastic response that benefits from a deadpan delivery.

  • “The price of gas.”

This is a variation of the rent-based reply we discussed earlier. Again, the younger you are when you say it, the funnier and more absurd it becomes.

  • “My serotonin levels after seeing you, buddy.”

If you want to give the recipient a shot of happiness, give them this line. It’ll make them feel good about themselves and bring you closer together.

  • “That old guy in the house.”

Here, you’re referencing the movie Up. It’s another devilishly literal response that’ll start the conversation off on an interesting foot.

To make it even more literal for some extra laughs, you could say “A movie about an old guy who makes his house fly away.”, or “Why, that was a fantastic movie.”.

It may take the recipient a few moments to catch your drift, which makes the eventual impact even more impressive and funny.

  • “Yes.”

If you want to disorientate the recipient, responding with something simple and jarring like this will divert the conversation to a more interesting place instantly.

It may even become an in-joke between the two of you that earns some solid laughs every time either of you use it.

  • “Wassssaaaaaaap?”

This one’s a little dated so tread carefully. Taken from the infamous Budweiser advert of yesteryear, the only way this is going to be funny again is if it’s used ironically.

Beware those around you, though, as if someone who isn’t in on the joke here’s you say “wasssaaaaaaap?”, they’re going to think you’re trapped in the early noughties.

How Should You Respond To A Wassup Text?

How Should You Respond To A Wassup Text?

There are countless ways to respond to a wassup text, but here are a few pointers to get the creative juices flowing.

Feel Good Responses

Giving the recipient a compliment instead of talking about yourself is a great way to show interest in them — Selflessness is a virtue!

It will catch them off guard and endear them to you, so if you’re very much a fan of the person texting you and you’d like the texts to continue, a feel-good response is a no-brainer.

You could respond with…

  • “All the better for talking to you.”
  • “My day after hearing from you.”
  • “Forget about me. I want to hear about your day.”
  • “With you in my life, how could I be down?”

Inspiring Optimism

You don’t have to deflect the greeting text straight back at the sender.

You can still talk about yourself in a forthright manner, but keeping things positive will set the conversation off on a playful note.

You could say…

  • “Great thanks; I’ve been making a lot of healthy choices recently.”
  • “Happy as I’ve ever been… feeling blessed.”
  • “Amazing! The best thing happened to me.”

Go For The “Lols”

Just because you’re texting, doesn’t mean you can’t inject some humor into the interaction with your response, especially if you’re close with the sender of the wassup text.

The rules for generating lols in a text follow the same principles as generating laughter in conversation.

You could say…

  • “In a perfect world, my salary.”
  • “My very attractive face.”

This one should precede a hilarious selfie of you looking straight down into your phone camera, pressing your chin into your chest.

  • “Everybody taller than me.”
  • “Mortgage interest rates.”
  • “My grades next semester, hopefully.”

How To Get Flirty With Your Wassup Response

If you feel like getting your flirt on, you can do so right after receiving the old “Wassup?” greeting. There are a few approaches you can take:

Overt Flirting

For a direct, no-nonsense response, try one of these on for size…

  • “Fancy coming round to my place?”
  • “Your mood now you’re talking to this beautiful specimen.”
  • “Depends… you want to do something this weekend?”

Subtle Flirting

If you’d rather go for something a little less on the nose, how about one of these more subtle responses…

  • “Nothing much. Have you got plans this weekend?”
  • “So much! We need to catch up.”
  • “My mood now I’m talking to my favorite person.”

How To Tackle A Tinder Wassup

“Wassup?” may seem like a pretty unimaginative way to start an interaction on Tinder, but considering the saturation of terrible one-liners flying around in this dating app, you may find this chill introduction rather refreshing… but how to reply?

  • “The fish in your profile pic.”

Way too many people use a picture of themselves holding up a prize catch as their Tinder profile pic, and you can make light of that right off the bat to see if they have a sense of humor or take themselves too seriously.

  • “Political tensions on the world stage.”

Tinder is likely the last place people would want to have a political conversation, which makes this a funny, quirky response to an overly simple “Sup?” introduction.

Not everyone will get it, but that’s fine; there are plenty more fish on Tinder (as previously discussed).

  • “My heart rate looking at your profile pic.”

If you’re interested in taking things further with your match, why not cut to the quick with this flirty response? After all, this is kind of what Tinder is all about.

  • “… Doc.”

Some might think a Bugs Bunny reference is a little wacky for Tinder, but this is a good way to see if your match has a sense of humor.

  • “Nice intro… verbose.”

This sarcastic little comment will let them know that they’re going to have to try harder if they want to impress you.

  • “My data usage now I’m talking to you.”

Here’s another thirsty response that can establish a connection very quickly — And they say mobile data plans aren’t sexy.

How To Reply To A “What’s Up?” From A Guy

If you stall when the guys in your life sling a wassup your way, remember a few of the suggestions below to whip out in emergencies.

Chill Answers

  • “Nothing. You?”
  • “Taking it easy.”

Sassy Answers

  • “What do you think?”.
  • “You tell me.”

Smart Answers

  • “A two-letter word”
  • “Pigeons”
  • “Flying squirrels”
  • “My halo. Can’t you see it?”
  • “The clouds”

Loving Answers

  • “My mood because you’re here.”
  • “My day ever since you arrived.”

Funny Answers

  • “My parole”
  • “What’s it to you? Wanna marry me or something?”
  • “That’s a tough question.”
How To Reply To A “What’s Up?” From A Girl

How To Reply To A “What’s Up?” From A Girl

Cat got your tongue when the cool girls say “sup?”. Here are a few responses you can use to keep the moment flowing.

Flirty Answers

  • “Wondering what you’re up to tonight.”
  • “Nothing really. Wanna grab a bite?”

Cool Answers

  • “Not bad. Sup with you?”
  • “Rocket ships, baby”.
  • “Chillin’. You good?”

Friendly Answers

  • “I’m fine, but enough about me. How are you doing?”
  • “Not bad, bud. Can I ask your advice on something?”
  • “I’ve come down with a wicked case of the huggies.” (Followed by a big old bear hug)
  • “Fancy going to the movies?”
  • “Bring it in.” (Followed by a friendly embrace)

How To Reply To A Friend Who Says “Wassup?”

Got a friend who inevitably slings a “wassup?” your way every time you meet up with them? Let’s take a look at some of your options.

  • “Not much, my dude. You?”

This reply oozes familiarity and can set a relaxed tone for the proceeding conversation, so it’s a good idea to use this to settle nerves if you haven’t seen one another in a while.

  • “My lunch after that biology class.”

If you both experienced the same thing, you can reference it in a humorous way to give your co-conversationalist a topic to move straight on to.

  • “Can’t complain.”

Not much to talk about? No worries. Hit them with one of these and they’ll know that they’ll have to contribute more to the conversation.

  • “Same old, same old.”

This phrase is a little antiquated at this point in time, but people still say it. It lets the listener know that your life has been uneventful as of late and that you might not have much to talk about.

  • “My weight after the holidays.”

Not only is this a funny response, it opens up the broad topic of the holidays, meaning the conversion will likely come to life from here on out.

How To Reply To A “Wassup?” From A Coworker?

People have more of a filter when communicating in the workplace, which is something you should keep in mind when you get a professional “Wassup?”.

  • “I’m alright, thanks.”

You might find a workplace “Wassup?” is a little too informal for your tastes, so you can bring the interaction back into a comfortable space by giving a rather muted response that is neither too formal or informal.

  • “Watching the clock.”

This is some classic workplace humor that intimates you’re about ready to head on home for some you time. Your colleague will relate and you may even share a few laughs.

  • “Rushed off my feet, but getting by, thanks.”

If you’re too busy to talk, politely let your coworker know with this tactful response. If they have some free time, they might lend you a hand to take the pressure off.

  • “I’m good. Any updates?”

Sometimes a workplace “Wassup?” isn’t so much a genuine inquiry as it is a segway for someone to tell you something else.

This response acknowledges the reality of the situation and allows both of you to cut to the chase, saving valuable time in what could be a very busy workplace. 

  • Offer a breakdown of what you’re doing.

If your workplace “What’s Up?” comes from a senior member of staff, it might be a friendly way of asking for you to let them know how productive you’ve been, so a quick breakdown of your progress with any tasks at hand will be much appreciated.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Rude To Say “Wassup?”?

Generally speaking, it’s not rude to use the term “Wassup?”, “Sup?”, or “What’s Up?”, but in different social contexts, it might not be all that suitable.

For example, if you were meeting the King of England, “Wassup?” is perhaps not appropriate. Then again, maybe the novelty of your casual inquiry may go down a storm with royalty, but it’s a risky move.

I’m Sick Of Saying “Wassup?”. What Else Can I Say As A Greeting?

Don’t neglect the classics if you’re bored of slang. “Hi”, “hello”, or “hey” are perfectly acceptable ways of extending greetings to someone.

If you’d prefer something a little wordier, how about “Good morning”, “afternoon”, or “evening”?

A particular favorite of mine is the old “How’s it going?”, but you may prefer “What’s happening?”, “How’s it hanging?”, “Howdy”, or “What’s good?”.

Who Coined “What’s Up?”?

Like a lot of language, it’s uncertain where “What’s up?” originated, but the earliest examples of it can be traced back to English fiction of the early 19th century.

Loony Toons legend Bugs Bunny helped popularize it in the modern era, but Ben Hardaway, the creator of everyone’s favorite cock-sure carrot muncher, once remarked that it was a popular greeting in his Texas hometown.

Final Thoughts

And with that ends my ultimate guide to responding to a “What’s up?” greeting.

With all these suggestions in the chamber, you’re ready to communicate with those around you with style and ease, no matter the context.

Simon Lewis

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