• Stern@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    Just as the ducks at the park are free, there is also no legal requirement to answer the phone in particular way. Hit folks with a, “Ahoyhoy”, “Howdy”, “Whats good brother?”, or for the more adventurous, “Ralphs Roadkill Cafe. You kill it, we grill it.”

    • ImplyingImplications@lemmy.ca
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      6 months ago

      I like the explanation that devious spirits cannot say this phrase and that’s why it’s used. Apparently it’s also just a casual way of saying “I’m ready to talk” and was used by early telephone operators in Japan. It’s most likely people just ended up copying the phrase from operators and aren’t worried about being tricked by foxes.

      • bort
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        6 months ago

        I like the explanation that devious spirits cannot say this phrase and that’s why it’s used

        Evil spirits can not say the same word twice in a row. Foxes can not say “moshi”. With “moshi moshi” you get a 2-for-1 special.

    • sigmaklimgrindset
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      6 months ago

      Japanese people answer their phone like that, everything is fine.

      I answer my phone like that, I’m branded a weaboo for the rest of my life.

    • Furbag@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      I can’t read this phrase anymore without reading it in Admiral Kizaru’s voice automatically.

    • BellaDonna@mujico.org
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      6 months ago

      I thought of the same. I assumed this anachronism was meant to imply he was incredibly old and around for the initial rollout of the telephone.

    • Holyhandgrenade@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      I love the fact that Burns answers the phone this way. Subtle jokes like this are the reason why The Simpsons is infinitely rewatchable.

    • Dippy@beehaw.org
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      6 months ago

      Graham-bell isn’t better. He was super duper ableist and pressured Helen Keller to identify with her blindness instead of her deafness

  • ArbitraryValue@sh.itjust.works
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    6 months ago

    Edison was apparently quite successful, to the point where some languages other than English have a word that sounds like “hello” (for example, Russian “allo”) which is used only when answering the phone.

  • waigl@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    Funny thing: “Hello” was actually not a common greeting until that point.

  • maculata@aussie.zone
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    6 months ago

    So apparently the new shit spam evil calls can record the most minimal sample of your voice and then spoof it to your friends and family…

    It almost seems worth saying nothing until ‘they’ say something, but then, what if they are a spoofed caller…

    Oh shit. Just don’t use phones any more.

    • casual_turtle_stew_enjoyer@sh.itjust.works
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      6 months ago

      If you don’t recognize the number, answer in a funny accent. That’s how you defeat the voice harvesters.

      ring ring Sombrero repair, como es?

      ring ring [deep voice] Investigations.

      ring ring HJECKIN?

      ring ring [high pitched voice] OOIIO BO IMA SO GLAD YE RANG DOLLINGA

      ring ring thinkyefurcullinpapajhonzzewoodyalacktatryourpapalopadoussoosageasperigusdoughdopoloostoday?

      ring ring [monkey noises]

      ring ring OOOOOHHHHHHHH COME ON EILEEN, I BEG OF YA PLEASE

      ring ring [raspy voice] Jerome?

      ring ring [dictation voice, right up against microphone] THANK YOU FOR FALLING KMART. PLEASE LET US KNOW WHAT YOU ARE CALLING ABOUT SO WE MAY DIRECT YOUR CALL

      ring ring [moaning so intense it would make Sarah Grey blush]

      ring ring WEAR MAH CHIL’ SUPPORT AT JEROME

      ring ring [play Gilbert Garfield directly into microphone]

    • Ironfacebuster@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      I had a friend try to use AI to mimic my voice and make me say some goofy stuff and it sounded nothing like me, so I think I’ve lucked out on that front

      It has been a while though, and it’s possible the technology has progressed to be able to clone my uncloneable voice

      !I was tempted to say chat member but I hate advertising or talking about that at all, so enjoy this spoiler explaining something that didn’t need explaining!<

    • chatokun@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      6 months ago

      I mostly don’t ever answer calls I don’t recognize, and even the ones I do I don’t often answer if I’m at work etc. I’ve only answered calls when it’s for something important being delivered, fixed, or scheduled (recent examples in same order: TV, Internet, renting a place(less recent, but all I could think of)).

  • davemeech@lemmy.ca
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    6 months ago

    Ahoy, guys.

    Be the change you want to see in this world, don’t let Thomas Edison continue to shit on everything from his grave.

  • sqw@lemmy.sdf.org
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    6 months ago

    my go-to when im forced to answer unknown callers is “who is this?”. then i disconnect if they dont answer my question

      • Glowstick@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        To me it sounds like OP’s opener is exactly for people who aren’t contacts saved in his phone. It sounds perfect to me

          • acetanilide@lemmy.world
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            6 months ago

            20 years ago, yes

            These days, the only people who call me are creditors (who aren’t supposed to) and scammers

          • Glowstick@lemmy.world
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            6 months ago

            If you just add "hi’ to the beginning then it’s a perfect middle. “Hello, who is this?” Nothing is better than letting it go to voicemail, but sometimes you’re in a situation where you might be expecting a call from an unknown number

            • sqw@lemmy.sdf.org
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              6 months ago

              i dispense with pleasantries when my expectation is not neutral :-)

      • jarfil@beehaw.org
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        6 months ago

        The only folk who have trouble identifying themselves when calling my private phone, are spammers.