Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Some Telephone History...!

You would think that after all these years, nothing new in regards to the telephone would be talked about.

One thing about it though, there is almost always a little bit more to the story than what we thought we knew. Case in point, how did we ever decide to start saying "hello" on the phone? This might be the answer to that right here.

 We say ‘hello’ because of Thomas Edison. When Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone in 1876, ‘hello’ was mostly used to grab attention (‘Hey, you!’). Bell favored ‘ahoy’ as a greeting, but Edison envisioned phones as business tools with always-open lines that didn’t “need a call bell as Hello! can be heard 10 to 20 feet away.” Edison won the battle, but Bell was so tied to ‘ahoy’ that he used it for the rest of his life.

I have tried to imagine myself saying "Ahoy" when I answer the phone, but I just don't see it ever happening somehow. Seems awkward to me, ya know?

Coffee out on the patio once again.
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7 comments:

  1. MamahenApril 17, 2018 at 3:07 AM

    My dad hated talking on a phone , and he started, and ended every call the same way. Yeah and yeah, click! Lol

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  2. MomladyApril 17, 2018 at 6:19 AM

    My dad would answer "Lloyds' mad house". These days, though, it seems people text more than talk.

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  3. linda mApril 17, 2018 at 6:47 AM

    Makes me think of being on a ship if I would say "ahoy". Most times I wish I didn't have to answer the phone as it is usually just a nuisance call anyways.

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  4. JOApril 17, 2018 at 9:12 AM

    Yes seems no one calls anymore unless like Linda said a nuisance call. I really don't care for texting at all and when someone just goes on n on with them I just text back and said if you aren't finished call me. But hello seems to be the norm

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  5. RobApril 17, 2018 at 9:34 AM

    I'm going to have to try "ahoy" the next time I answer the phone. I don't get many calls but maybe I'll remember!

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  6. Hermit's Baby SisApril 17, 2018 at 12:13 PM

    I've tried saying "Good Morning" or "Good Evening" - really throws folks off.
    Usually I can see who's calling so I just greet them by name. If there's no caller ID, I may not answer at all.

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  7. Dizzy-DickApril 17, 2018 at 4:52 PM

    Our phone gets a lot of use. Incoming and outgoing. Most outgoing calls are to make appointments with doctors, etc.

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