I volunteered to help some people learn English a decade or so ago. They asked me to explain the keypad to them, So I drew one on the board. They patiently waited as I went over the function and when I got to #, I had a difficult time the first time I heard “hit the pound key”, everyone exclaimed “AH!”, very happy to finally learn that one.
Throughout my life, # has always been the number sign, though I have had no problem accepting its useful additional identity as the hashtag. (The sharp sign, if properly notated, is actually a little bit different.) As for the pound sign … I don’t think I ever heard of # being referred to as the pound sign until I was in my forties, and, when used with reference to the keypad on touchtone phones, I originally thought it meant that it was a key you were supposed to really hammer or pound on for some reason. I have since been educated as to its history as a scrawled abbreviation for pound on bulk packaging, but I still don’t understand how that ever became its usual name.
Grumpy Old Guy 22 days ago
She’s not wrong…..
Julius Marold Premium Member 22 days ago
octothorp(e) aka hash tag
The Reader Premium Member 22 days ago
It’s a metaphor for life, where everybody has four jobs.
Mountain Meg 21 days ago
How come @ doesn’t have a cool name like octothorpe?
Ken Norris Premium Member 21 days ago
I have a sudden craving to play tic-tac-toe…
tammyspeakslife Premium Member 21 days ago
Wait, your turn will come.. maybe.
tammyspeakslife Premium Member 21 days ago
I volunteered to help some people learn English a decade or so ago. They asked me to explain the keypad to them, So I drew one on the board. They patiently waited as I went over the function and when I got to #, I had a difficult time the first time I heard “hit the pound key”, everyone exclaimed “AH!”, very happy to finally learn that one.
Jefano Premium Member 21 days ago
Throughout my life, # has always been the number sign, though I have had no problem accepting its useful additional identity as the hashtag. (The sharp sign, if properly notated, is actually a little bit different.) As for the pound sign … I don’t think I ever heard of # being referred to as the pound sign until I was in my forties, and, when used with reference to the keypad on touchtone phones, I originally thought it meant that it was a key you were supposed to really hammer or pound on for some reason. I have since been educated as to its history as a scrawled abbreviation for pound on bulk packaging, but I still don’t understand how that ever became its usual name.
poppacapsmokeblower 21 days ago
Next we have the ampersand, also known as “at sign.” Who says hieroglyphs are dead.
dv 21 days ago
Calling it hashtag almost got the US blown up in Olympus Has Fallen
Chris Sherlock 21 days ago
ellisaana Premium Member 21 days ago
My fave is ~ the tilde symbol. Find it on the left, approximately.