I have read the expression "How are you finding [something] ?" (= What are you thinking of [something] ?) for the first time today. Is it used only/mostly in UK?
asked Sep 21, 2019 at 22:53
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1Waiter: how did you find your steak, sir? Diner: I just moved the peas and there it was!– Michael HarveyCommented Sep 21, 2019 at 23:38
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3 Answers
How are you finding may be American usage
What are you thinking of / about is quite idiomatic in British English.
What do you think about something is used to talk about an opinion .
What are you thinking of? ( idea)
I am thinking of going to America.(idea)
answered Sep 22, 2019 at 5:46
I would think that this usage of 'find' has a place in US English, judging by this entry in the Merriam-Webster (an American dictionary) entry:
3a: to discover by the intellect or the feelings : EXPERIENCE find much pleasure in your company
answered Sep 21, 2019 at 23:37
Although the usage is common in the UK ('I've always found him pleasant', for example), the online dictionaries I've looked at on and offline are strangely reticent about this precise meaning. (I forgot to try Merriam-Webster.)
However the OED mentions it specifically, as described here on StackExchange when a similar question was asked two years ago.
The somewhat similar legal usage 'Do you find the accused guilty or not guilty?' is perhaps related.
answered Sep 22, 2019 at 6:25
