"... completely depends on who is asking and how they are asking." Absolutely!
However, most, if not all, the serious or semi-ambiguous answers suggested, not being a denial or effectively evasive, are tantamount to admitting you are carrying, or at least likely to be.
Better than smart answers is an effective change of subject. For example, "Carrying ......... hey, did you see that guy almost hit that woman crossing the road
; should we call it in ...?" etc.
I entertain folks on my private range occasionally, and conversation often turns to concealed carry; I'm happy to tell them all I know about it, so "the question" often arises. Since most of my closest friends don't know I carry, I don't want to answer.
Since I am among gunnies, I can say " it is bad form to ask, because it is to my disadvantage either for people to know if I'm armed or not"
. That is a reasoned ambiguous response.
When a person knows I at least sometimes carry, I'll say no more than "I carry occasionally" when the question is about NOW.
I have never been asked by someone who has no clue about my habits. I'd try to avoid all responses that suggest I know about CC. "Whatever makes you think that?" would reveal what tack to take in dealing with the situation.
They might have seen or felt something, in which case a response is tough
: . You might get away with "It's a multitool" (to my mind a gun IS a multiool), but if they ask to see the multitool, you are going to have problems and directness may be wisest. Better to say one is a trained, licensed carrier, and ask for confidentiality, than leave doubts, IMO.
C