# how come

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/how-come
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Why; why is it; for what reason or purpose; due to what cause?

## Examples

- How come you are not eating your lunch?
- The store is closed today, so how come you thought we could go shopping?
- Given the sudden change in the weather, I wonder how come the organizers decided to hold the event outdoors.

## Origin

Earliest use in its modern form can also be found in The Trial of Titus Oates, referring to a trial that took place in 1685: :* 1730, F. Hargrave, A Complete Collection of State-Trials and Proceedings for High-Treason, and Other Crimes and Misdemeanours; from the Reign of King Richard II. to the End of the Reign of King George I, volume 4: Mrs. A. Ireland It was on Saturday Morning, as I remember, the 3rd of August, the Saturday after St. Ignatius's Day. L. C. J. How come you remember so particularly, that it was then? In this text, it also co-occurs with forms such as "How come she to lie there?" and "How come you to remember those Days of the Month?". Compare West Frisian hoe kom (“how come”), Dutch hoe komt het (“how comes it; why”), Afrikaans hoekom (“how come; why”). According to Partridge's slang dictionary: US English, 1848, probably from older forms such as "How comes it that... ?" or "How does it come that... ?" and "How did it come to be like this?" (disputed)

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.