The symbol was invented in Bell Labs in the US – but as per usual with the Brits who chose a different name for it after it had been invented, it is Americans who are "wrong"about the name.
Is anyone actually confusing pound signs (or hash marks) with hash tags, which are tags beginning with hash marks? Not saying it’s impossible, but is it actually happening?
It is a very old symbol, with many names. And, as EighthAt14 pointed out, in programming it is a “hash” and is only a “hash tag” when followed by words.
Ooh! I can relate! I’m teaching an eighty-five year old woman to use her first computer , and the problem is, she doesn’t have the basic vocabulary….words like “open” and “forward” have no meaning to her…
Actually, in the 1970s a guy at Bell Labs named Thorpe was involved in the TouchTone development and the pound sign had never been officially named, so he got a copyright on the name “Octothorpe” which made it into official Bell Labs literature for a while. So, both “Pound Sign” and “Hash Tag” are technically incorrect, as they are not the official name.
It’s known as the number sign, pound, hash, comment sign (programming), or octothorpe (AT&T claims that one around 1964). Hashtag appeared in the 80’s when it was used in IRC.
A local radio station , when giving instructions on how to dial in to one of their daily public access shows….offers "POUND * on your * cell phone NOT #HASHSTAG#…….Every generation changes things from the previous generation….not always for the better.
It’s on keyboards as an abbreviation for a measure of weight, the British pound, financial, is of course also a POUND sign. It’s just easier to say “pound”, than “hash-tag”, and doesn’t make you think of ground meat, potatoes, and onions in a pot.
I am a proud American, and it will always be a pound sign! There, I got it off my chest! I feel so much better, now.Let’s see, where did I set that Colorado Bulldog? Yumm…
The official, technical, name for the character as listed in ASCII charts, is “OCTOTHORP”, meaning Eight Thorps, which are the pieces of roof support that stick out to form the eave. This name would be the same in England as in the US.
This discussion is hilariously entertaining. The # is called a pound sign in the USA simply because it has long been the symbol for pounds (as in weight). It’s as funny as people now calling a “period” a “dot.”
And the twitter usage was originally a “hatch-tag”, you know, as in “cross-hatch”.The little illiterate boobs who use twitter had no clue what “hatch” meant, so they thought people were saying “hash”, as if that makes ANY sense at all.
g55rumpy over 10 years ago
i`m with bert, you silly people
paddy over 10 years ago
In the USA, it’s called a pound sign. Here’s a real pound sign: £. This is a hash sign: #.
Brass Orchid Premium Member over 10 years ago
He was later chased off by a gang of octothorpists.
Zero-Gabriel over 10 years ago
And that guy just keeps on walking as Mr. Bert gets a face full of sidewalk… and bloody scratches…
Scorpio Premium Member over 10 years ago
And only Americans call it a Pound Sign
pcolli over 10 years ago
….a pound sign: lb.
William Reynolds over 10 years ago
It’s also called a number sign in the US.
Julius Marold Premium Member over 10 years ago
It’s an anoctothorp (sp?)
bagbalm over 10 years ago
It’s also a sharp.
johnt204 over 10 years ago
Pound is easier to say than hashtag.
Ida No over 10 years ago
The above behavior is acceptable only if it’s not a release program.
cdward over 10 years ago
I always thought it meant someone wanted to play tic-tac-toe.
Aaberon over 10 years ago
Music, weight, tic-tac-toe: how else is it used around the world and what are it’s other names??
OldDoug Premium Member over 10 years ago
octatherp
Pedmar Premium Member over 10 years ago
Our teachers told us it was called it “cross-hatch”.
dadoctah over 10 years ago
Has anyone mentioned “Archie’s hair” yet? Would have thought, you know, this being a comics forum and all….
nataliekaylaben over 10 years ago
tic-tac-toe anyone?
tripwire45 over 10 years ago
Bert is my hero.
calvinbird over 10 years ago
Octothorpe. http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/octothorpe
jack fairbanks over 10 years ago
Hilarious! ( How old are you kid? 16? Hell I’ve got restraining orders older than that)!!
IQTech61 over 10 years ago
The symbol was invented in Bell Labs in the US – but as per usual with the Brits who chose a different name for it after it had been invented, it is Americans who are "wrong"about the name.
garcoa over 10 years ago
I don’t talk about hashtags or hash whatevers when the police are around
matzam Premium Member over 10 years ago
at last a voice of reason ( number sign is proper also)
sbchamp over 10 years ago
Gotta make up some new symbols
dabugger over 10 years ago
What? How can we work an answer with popup interruptions? Lets hope no one buys the whatever.
T_Lexi over 10 years ago
That’ll pound some cents into him, Bert. ; ) #hashtag #octothorp #Archie #Brits #sharp #tic tac toe #funny #LOL
sartre over 10 years ago
We used to call the # symbol “chicken-scratch” when I started programming back in the 1970s.
puddlesplatt over 10 years ago
?
crpeters over 10 years ago
Hashtag? Pound sign? How about Number sign? The proper name is ‘octothorp.’ Look it up in your Funk & Wagnalls.
EighthAt14 over 10 years ago
Is anyone actually confusing pound signs (or hash marks) with hash tags, which are tags beginning with hash marks? Not saying it’s impossible, but is it actually happening?
Varnes over 10 years ago
What the @&#%?
SClark55 Premium Member over 10 years ago
I thought it was a number sign, myself.
EighthAt14 over 10 years ago
And what on earth’s wrong with a new name for something?
QuiteDragon over 10 years ago
It is a very old symbol, with many names. And, as EighthAt14 pointed out, in programming it is a “hash” and is only a “hash tag” when followed by words.
woodworker318 over 10 years ago
Hash marks are what are on the uniform sleeves to denote years of service. Also x’s are used in tick-tac-toe.
Vonne Anton over 10 years ago
#Bertsabuzzkill*Follow these comments there!
magicwalnut over 10 years ago
Ooh! I can relate! I’m teaching an eighty-five year old woman to use her first computer , and the problem is, she doesn’t have the basic vocabulary….words like “open” and “forward” have no meaning to her…
magicwalnut over 10 years ago
…and “download” is a total mystery"…
jackobannon over 10 years ago
Actually, in the 1970s a guy at Bell Labs named Thorpe was involved in the TouchTone development and the pound sign had never been officially named, so he got a copyright on the name “Octothorpe” which made it into official Bell Labs literature for a while. So, both “Pound Sign” and “Hash Tag” are technically incorrect, as they are not the official name.
live.the.future over 10 years ago
And here I’ve been calling it tic-tac-toe.
Can't Sleep over 10 years ago
Snag the kid. And then hit him with your pound sign.
yimhere over 10 years ago
Isn’t the pound sign " lb." ??
celeconecca over 10 years ago
always think of it as a symbol for “number.” don’t tweet, so escaped “hashtag.”
Thanks Chris Maple, that was interesting.
Ernest Lemmingway over 10 years ago
It’s called both, depending on the context.
.Sheeple, pull your eyes away from your little toys, stop texting, and talk! It’s like we’ve gone full circle back to telegraphs!
sperry532 over 10 years ago
It’s known as the number sign, pound, hash, comment sign (programming), or octothorpe (AT&T claims that one around 1964). Hashtag appeared in the 80’s when it was used in IRC.
Interesting little symbol, isn’t it.
neeeurothrush over 10 years ago
whippersnappers – young whippersnappers
Caddy57 over 10 years ago
A local radio station , when giving instructions on how to dial in to one of their daily public access shows….offers "POUND * on your * cell phone NOT #HASHSTAG#…….Every generation changes things from the previous generation….not always for the better.
VirginiaCityLady over 10 years ago
How right he is. We didn’t even get a warning! I caught on, but my husband doesn’t do well with changes.
ladykat over 10 years ago
I’m Canadian and call it a pound sign.
Dtroutma over 10 years ago
It’s on keyboards as an abbreviation for a measure of weight, the British pound, financial, is of course also a POUND sign. It’s just easier to say “pound”, than “hash-tag”, and doesn’t make you think of ground meat, potatoes, and onions in a pot.
neverenoughgold over 10 years ago
I am a proud American, and it will always be a pound sign! There, I got it off my chest! I feel so much better, now.Let’s see, where did I set that Colorado Bulldog? Yumm…
spaced man spliff over 10 years ago
I call it a “number” sign.
David Cole Premium Member over 10 years ago
It;s called an octothorpe: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/octothorpe[:-)]
pcolli over 10 years ago
The sign means nothing to anyone I know.
westny77 over 10 years ago
Go get a life you old geezer. Man you are ugly
Squoop over 10 years ago
After going thru all these comments about the #, I see there is one thing yet to be said – it is ASCII character code 35.
drlworthington over 10 years ago
The official, technical, name for the character as listed in ASCII charts, is “OCTOTHORP”, meaning Eight Thorps, which are the pieces of roof support that stick out to form the eave. This name would be the same in England as in the US.
dlauber Premium Member over 10 years ago
This discussion is hilariously entertaining. The # is called a pound sign in the USA simply because it has long been the symbol for pounds (as in weight). It’s as funny as people now calling a “period” a “dot.”
stevek Premium Member over 10 years ago
Perfect.
connie over 10 years ago
It’s a sharp sign, said the piano teacher, to the math student who thought it meant “number”.
Meh~tdology, fka Pepelaputr over 10 years ago
#OUCH!
Meh~tdology, fka Pepelaputr over 10 years ago
Scorchwave over 10 years ago
love the trap.
Don Duckworth Premium Member over 10 years ago
Why not go all the way and rebel against push-button phones?
paulsub63 over 10 years ago
It really is called an octothorpe.
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/octothorpe
paulsub63 over 10 years ago
It really is called an octothorpe.
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/octothorpe
paulsub63 over 10 years ago
It really is called an octothorpe.
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/octothorpe
LOWRIDER84 over 10 years ago
And the twitter usage was originally a “hatch-tag”, you know, as in “cross-hatch”.The little illiterate boobs who use twitter had no clue what “hatch” meant, so they thought people were saying “hash”, as if that makes ANY sense at all.
Len W. Premium Member over 10 years ago
Of course, it’s not a pound sign either (£ is a pound)… it’s normally a ‘number sign’, but for music fans it’s a ‘sharp’