What is a howdy?

Answer 1

Howdy is a slang greeting based on the phrase: Howdy Doody- sometimes hyphenated, How do you do, In other words, like Greetings, Friends. the standard intro formalilty of How do you do? is somewhat Westernized, as did the TV character. The TV character and show is somewhat odd as Howdy was the personal name of the lead character, though it bears no resemblance to normal Christian prenames and surnames ( last names, not noble titles, sir?) Howdy Doody had a hokey western background oddly sans horses and gunplay- though there were Horses in the short-lived Howdy Doody comic book in the early fifties, possibly a give-away by one of the show"s sponsors- Poll Parrot shoes.