Re: the pound sign (#)

[Peter Zimmer <pzimmer -at- FOX -dot- NSTN -dot- NS -dot- CA>]

On 9 Aug 1995 17:51:33 -0000,
James Perkins  <perkins -at- bilbo -dot- ntc -dot- nokia -dot- com> wrote:

>James> > I know "#" as the "hash" sign.

>Stui> Hi James.  In North America, they call the # the "pound" sign. I
>too
>Stui> know it as an octothorp as I come from England, just as the / is an
>STui> oblique not a forward slash as they say here. :)

>I am working with a Canadian here, and he assures me that in North
>America, the "#" is known as the "hash" sign, as it is in Australia.
>This is certainly true of all computer specialists I have met.  The
>Canadian, by the way, is not a computer specialist.  He has a degree in
>English literature.

   And that paragon of clear communication, the local phone company
   here in Nova Scotia, Canada, calls the mark "the pound sign" in
   print and on their various computer-voiced services, refering to the
   lower right-hand key on the telephone key-pad.  And since they
   seem to be thoroughly plugged into national phone co. styles and
   documents, I assume this usage is being spread to all Canadian
   users of the phone system, whether or not they are literate (or
   even just computer literate).  And likely it is a North American phone
   standard usage.

   An irresitable force.  Makes hash of the relevance of your informant's
   credentials.

        Peter
          pzimmer -at- fox -dot- nstn -dot- ca

   Oh yeah, in phone-speak "*" is a 'Star', not an asterisk.... but then
   "asterisk" from latin/greek means "little star".... and is three
   syllables and eight letters long, versus one and four.