Howdy: Arizona's state greeting? Learn more about HB2764
Bill aims to make 'howdy' AZ's official greeting
A cowboy welcome may soon become Arizona's official greeting, if a bill introduced at the Arizona State Legislature becomes law. FOX 10's Lauren Clark reports.
PHOENIX - A greeting that is sometimes considered a cowboy welcome may soon become Arizona's official state greeting, if state legislators pass a new bill.
Big picture view:
HB2764 is a bill that adds a section to Arizona law. The bill is really short, and merely states "Howdy is the official state greeting."
Kevin Volk (D-District 17), is one of the lawmakers who introduced the bill.
What State Rep. Volk Said:
"The practical benefit is probably clearest when it comes to tourism. If we have ‘howdy’ as our state greeting and that gets out, we can do a lot of branding around that. Our ranching and farming industries can talk about that."
The other side:
While some people we spoke with expressed support for the bill…
"The whole desert landscape and everything else kind of gives away to the cowboy feeling, so I get it," said one person.
…there are still some voices of criticism.
"That’s not the Arizona vibe I think of," said one man.
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has also weighed in on the bill.
"I'm so glad our legislators are focused on the serious problems like lowering costs, making housing more affordable, addressing our water crisis, and making an official state greeting," Gov. Hobbs said, during a news conference.
How did ‘howdy’ come about as a greeting?
While ‘howdy,’ as defined by the Oxford Dictionary, is now seen as an informal, often humorous American word, the word actually came about from outside the U.S.
Dig deeper:
According to the term's entry on the United Kingdom-based website Phrase Finder, it is possible that the term ‘howdy’ came from ‘howedye,’ which is one of the alternate spellings for 'how do you.'
Per the website, 'how do you’ is the 16th century equivalent of the term ‘how are you.' Back in the 16th century, the term was used specifically to inquire about someone's health, but over the years, the term evolved into a general greeting.
The term ‘howdy’ also has a special meaning for the Texas A&M community, as it is the university's official greeting.
"Students greet one another — and especially campus visitors — with a ‘howdy,’" read a portion of Texas A&M's website. "The origins of this tradition are unknown, but it is one that Aggies proudly continue."
Local perspective:
In Arizona, there is a documented history of ‘howdy’ being used as a term of greeting. The Arizona Memory Project's website has a photo taken during the 1950s of goodwill ambassadors for Scottsdale. The group was called "Howdy Dudettes."
The same website also contains a postcard that reads ‘Howdy from Phoenix, Arizona.’
The term was also used in some television ads: an example of that are ads commissioned for a local car dealership that featured its founder, Tex Earnhardt. He passed away in 2020 at the age of 89.