Page 1 of 1
Ahoy Matey
Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 6:06 am
by gunny
Alexander Graham Bell was asked how to repond when answering his new telephone. He suggested "AHOY". No one knows how "hello" came about.
Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 6:39 am
by Forum Monk
In Italy, people greet one another with ciao or bon giorno, etc. but when they answer the phone, they say "pronto"; which means "ready".
In english, hello is a standard greeting - is it not?
Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 10:57 am
by Minimalist
I understood that the Brits answer the phone with "Are you there?"
Brits?
Perhaps "are you there" dates back to a time when phone service was spotty. A condition which the cell phone industry has now re-invigorated.
Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 11:17 am
by rich
Nah, Min. Today it's "can you hear me now?"
Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 2:24 pm
by spacecase0
rich wrote:Nah, Min. Today it's "can you hear me now?"
it takes to long to say, but I do see people use it on TV,
all of my friends use "Are you there?" followed by "can you hear me" if you do not reply.
Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 2:10 pm
by Digit
Hello is a corruption of Halloo, much used many years ago to urge Fox hounds on the chase and to catch a person's attention.
I answer with hello.