What did you do about him?

[azz]

Last night at the bar this drunk started bothering me.

a. What did you do about him?
b. What did you do with him?

Are both sentences (a) and (b) acceptable in this context?
Is there a difference in their meanings?

I think in the first one the speaker expects an answer such as: I complained about him to the barman.
And in the second one the speaker expects an answer such as: 'I told him to get lost'; or 'I slapped him' or something of the sort.

 

[jutfrank]

Don't make up your own sentences and then ask us what they mean.

What is the question trying to ask?

 

[azz]

Thank you Jutfrank.

I wanted to know when I can use 'about' and when I can use 'with' in a case like this. That's all.

 

[jutfrank]

If you're talking about some kind of problem or issue that needs to be dealt with, you can use the pattern 'do something about something'.

A: I've got a leak in my roof.
B: What are you going to do about it?

Is that the kind of meaning you're thinking of?

 

[azz]

Thank you so much Jutfrank.

I thought I wasn't going to get an answer!

Yes. He was a nuisance. What did you do about that guy who was a nuisance? How did you deal with that problem.

My feeling is that both 'about' and 'with' can be used, but there is a slight difference. With 'about' the sentence would mean how did you deal with the problem that he was. With 'with', it would mean: 'how did you deal with him'. I think if one expects an answer such as 'I complained to the manager' then one would use 'about', and if one expects an answer such as 'I told him if he didn't stop my husband would beat him up' one would use 'with'.

One could also use 'What did you do about it', 'it' being the fact that he was bothering me.

Many thanks.

 

[jutfrank]

One could also use 'What did you do about it', 'it' being the fact that he was bothering me.

Yes, I think that's better, in fact.

I don't think What did you do with him? is a very likely question in this situation.

 

[Tarheel]

@azz Your feeling is wrong.

Al: A drunk was bothering me at the bar.
Bob: What did you about it?
Al: I complained to the manager. The bouncer escorted him out of the place.

 

[emsr2d2]

In the original context, both your suggestions are more complicated than necessary. We'd just say "What did you do?"