A San Diego, California, man says a colleague jokingly greets him with “What’s cookin’ good lookin’?” It’s a version of a question popularized by a Hank Williams song that goes “Hey, good-lookin’, whatcha got cookin’?” This greeting goes back to at least the 1920s. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “What’s Cookin’?”
Hello, you have A Way with Words.
Hi, my name is Chris. I’m calling from your backyard here in San Diego, California.
What’s on your mind, Christopher?
So I recently started a new job, and I think whenever that happens,
You’re keenly aware of all the things that you’re seeing and hearing around you.
And one of the things that I’ve noticed is one of my supervisors, I guess you could say,
Always greets me with what I consider somewhat of a peculiar phrase.
What’s cooking good looking?
It’s not something I’ve encountered much,
And I especially wouldn’t have expected to hear something like that
In a workplace environment.
So it just stood out to me,
And I thought I’d see if you guys could offer any clarity around that.
Yeah, are you trying to flesh out an HR dossier
For a case that you’re bringing against somebody?
Never.
Are you working at a restaurant or a hair salon?
Oh, there we go.
Neither of those.
I work in education,
So there’s nothing about my physical appearance that would come across.
What’s Cookin’ Good Lookin’?
Immediately the Hank Williams song came to mind.
Do you know this song?
No, I’m not familiar.
Hey, good lookin’, what you got cookin’?
How about cookin’ something up for me?
Now I can just hear that on the 8-track in my dad’s car.
Back in the 1970s.
And that song was huge.
I forget what year that was.
I want to say 1950-something.
But the term is older than that,
And even older is just what’s cooking on its own as a way to greet somebody.
At least to 1921, where I can find it in a sports column in a newspaper,
Somebody said, you know, it’s hard to find out what’s cooking with Player X on Team Y.
So to use cooking as a way to say what’s happening
Rather than literally what is on the stove and going to become a meal.
Gotcha.
All of the slang dictionaries that treat this all kind of all seem to have decided
That the origin of it is that moment when you walk in the house
And somebody else is making a meal that you can smell, but you’re not sure what it is.
And so you kind of shout out, hey, what’s cooking?
Right?
Gotcha.
Maybe that’s the case.
I don’t know.
It was really funny.
One of the slang dictionaries in their first edition said it was the man coming home to ask the woman.
And the next version, they took the genders out of it, which I thought was, I was like, oh, progress.
I love that.
So anyway, yeah, dates to the 1920s is what’s cooking.
And later the rhyming version comes along, what’s cooking, good looking.
And then the song just kind of immediately fastens this word to the American idiom.
It just becomes a part of the lingo and something that people say.
And it’s been with us ever since.
So, Christopher, I’m wondering if at the end of the day when you’re leaving, does this person say, after a while, crocodile, or see you later, alligator?
No phrases like that.
Those are a little more common, you know, that I’ve heard throughout my life, but no.
Do you have responses when your boss asks you what’s cooking good looking?
No, but a friend recently said I should reply with what’s shaking bacon.
There we go.
And I thought, you know, that might be a good option.
We can equip you with a few more.
Do you want them?
Please.
You can say, what’s the story, Morning Glory?
Perhaps you know that song.
Yes.
What’s the word hummingbird comes right after that.
What’s the word hummingbird?
You can also just kind of, this is not quite right, but it might work.
How now, brown cow?
And what’s the plan, Stan?
I love that.
And what’s your boss’s name?
Is there a natural rhyme there?
His name is Kevin.
Oh.
Oh.
Yeah.
What’s in heaven, Kevin?
No.
I’m leaving work at 11.
I like that one.
I’m turning it up to 11, Kevin.
Yeah, there you go.
I like that.
That is a great one.
Okay.
All right.
Well, thank you guys so much.
Yeah, sure.
Thanks for calling, Christopher.
I really appreciate it.
Bye-bye.
All right.
Bye.
I like in Spanish, ¿qué te pasa, calabaza?
Oh, yeah, yeah.
What’s up, pumpkin head?
Pretty much.
And the response is, un burro por tu casa.
A burro next to your house.
Oh.
Why?
An animal.
Just because it rhymes?
Yeah.
Email words@waywordradio.org.
