What really gets me every time (and I'm on a US trip right now) is that they say the words but expect no response. I'll walk into a store and the dialog goes:

What really gets me every time (and I'm on a US trip right now) is that they say the words but expect no response. I'll walk into a store and the dialog goes: - Hi, how are you? - I'm fine, how are y... - What can I get you? They don't mean to cut me off, it's just obvious they mistimed my response. What my American friends do: - Hi, how are you? - Hello, how are you? - What can I get you? It's very odd to me how neither responds to the other's question, but it really is used as a generic greeting.