getting-to-know-you
UK[ˌɡet.ɪŋ.tə.ˈnəʊ.juː]US[ˌɡet.ɪŋ.tə.ˈnoʊ.juː]
n
A period or process of becoming familiar with someone or something, especially at the beginning of a relationship or new situation.
adj
Describing an activity, event, or conversation designed to help people become acquainted.
Etymology
The phrase is a modern English compound, formed from the common Germanic verb "get" (from Old Norse 'geta', meaning "to obtain, reach") combined with the infinitive "to know" (from Old English 'cnawan', meaning "to perceive, recognize"). The construction "get to" evolved to indicate the process of arriving at a state or opportunity. The entire phrase was lexicalized and hyphenated to function as a single conceptual unit, typically describing initial social interactions. Its logic is transparently literal, describing the act of progressing ("getting") to a state of familiarity ("knowing") with another person ("you").
Analysis
This is a hyphenated compound phrase derived from the phrasal verb "to get to know (someone)". It is a fixed idiomatic expression in Modern English.
Examples
The first week of camp is filled with getting-to-know-you games.
We had a long getting-to-know-you conversation over coffee.
The workshop includes a getting-to-know-you session to break the ice.