To wonder when we stopped reciting our number when answering the phone

[bearbehind]

Not sure why this popped into my head but it occurred to me that when I was growing up in the 80's everyone used to pick up the phone and say their number.

I can still remember some friend numbers 30 years later as I can hear their Mum's answering the phone but I couldn't tell you my husbands mobile number now.

When did everyone stop doing this? Were we all subliminally conditioned to stop on the same day?

[SeamstressfromTreacleMineRoad]

My DM was a telephonist in the Fire Service during the war, and I had it drummed into me that you always said 'Freetown 1245' (*fictional number) when you picked up the receiver.
I suspect that the decrease started when exchange names vanished, and the custom disappeared altogether as numbers got longer and longer; it's a lot easier to say a name and four numbers than to reel off eleven numbers - especially as you get older

[CockacidalManiac]

Now I live in France and try to guess if I should be saying "hello" or "âllo" to incoming callers. I usually get it wrong.

Shouldn't you say 'This is Nighthawk calling'?

[x2boys]

My mum still says hello town she lives In number

[BewitchedBotheredandBewildered]

A bit off topic but in the late 70s I lived on a small Caribbean island for a few months and they still had a telephonist (probably the wrong word) on a switchboard.

You had to pick up the phone and wait, she would ask what number you wanted to be connected to, you'd say 444 and she would say Oh the Smiths aren't at home, they went to the Jones for supper, shall I connect you there?

Sometimes the person you were calling was visiting someone without a phone so someone would be despatched to trot down the road to alert them to pop in on their way home !

[KathySelden]

I do when I answer my mums phone but never when answering my own landline or mobile. We have the same phone voice as well so it confuses everyone.

[honeylulu]

When I was primary school age my parents taught us to answer the phone by stating the district and number. Only 2-3 years later (mid 80s?) They said we had to just say hello. this was apparently because they had heard "funny men" might call random numbers but then like the sound of a young girl's voice (or whatever) and were more likely to pester with other calls if you'd stated the number.
We were mystified about the "funny men".The funny men were also the reason why we weren't allowed to go to public toilets alone.

[HerRoyalNotness]

I remember doing this in NZ in the 70s/80s too. I've just realised I've forgotten my number from then which makes me kind of sad as I always remembered it after all of these years. I think it was 788 799, gah. I might ask my brother if he remembers.

Nowadays I say "hello HRN speaking" and they say, "can I speak to HRN?" Without fail, every time

[Seren85]

I've never done it (born 1985) and neither do my parents. However my Gran does in her "posh telephone voice" which goes directly back to common as lanky as soon as a family member is identified as the caller. She was a switchboard operator for years so I think its just automatic. I've been known to answer my mobile with "Good morning, [place of employment], Seren speaking" because I do it so often so I sort of get it.

[LadyIncuntliaButtock]

Most likely places for this are rural Wales and remote parts of Scotland, days spent with OCD and old telephone books are seldom joyful ones

[BackforGood]

That's brilliant Bewitched

[BitOutOfPractice]

I think we stopped about the same time as shopkeepers stopped counting your change out to you

"Two makes 70, 80, 90, a pound!"

[someonestolemynick]

When I was learning English at school (I'm from Germany), we learned that this is the wine thing in Britain.
I was a little disappointed, that I've never witnessed anyone do this.

[Pipbin]

I think we stopped about the same time as shopkeepers stopped counting your change out to you

That's because the till does it for you these days. Last time I operated a till I counted the change out. People would look at me like I was mad.

[lavenderhoney]

If my home phone rings we all stare at it in amazement as though the dog has just spoken and nobody moves. I must teach the DC how to answer a landline at home:)

My parents would say the village then the number. My df would feel the need to point out he was the master of the house then almost instantly get out of his depth and hand the phone to my DM.

My DM would have loved caller display. It would have saved her hours of listening to granny. She paid my db 50p to sit holding the phone and say " mmm" every so often:)

[Pipbin]

Now the talk of 'funny men' does make me think though.....
I answered the phone at home and it was a man saying all sorts of unpleasant things. It happened to a couple of other women in the village. They found a note book with phone numbers in in the village phone box with ticks by the numbers where women has answered.

Why he was phoning from the village phone box I have no idea.
Do men still do this or do they get their jollies online these days?

[LikeDylanInTheMovies]

lavender I had to ring the doorbell and pretend to be the milkman when my mum wanted off the phone. I didn't get 50p for it either.

[Baconyum]

Loving this thread.

I was a telephonist back in the 90's there were plenty of people still on rotary phones and still answering like this or 'Jones residence lady of the house speaking' and we had a script which included things like 'this is British Telecom we have a reverse charge request from miss smith are you willing to accept the charges please?'

The change in London codes was very confusing for a lot of people.

I'm also a military brat and we had to answer 'place + number without code' in case it was dad's work calling. As a result I can remember all my home numbers from growing up, AND my friends numbers (because they always had to be dialled)...but can't ever remember my current home number and whenever I'm asked for it I have to look it up on my address book on the mobile!

My gran had a rotary phone until she died in 2002!

[BlueFolly]

You would have to look up numbers in your phone book to call someone. So them immediately repeating the number would have an affect on your ability to remember it. And so phone numbers would be memorised. Not necessary now.

[wannadancethenightaway]

My father still does it

[GastonsPomPomWrath]

Oh this brings back memories. My gran and grandad used do answer ourtown 326875 when I was little. I always used to run to hear my grandad say it. I loved his 'phone voice'.

I started high school in 2000 and there was an elderly couple who watched me for an hour until my mum got home from work. They were still doing it then. I remember my 'uncle' did a little cough before answering. Always the same little cough.

[topcat2014]

I thought it was brought about to stop perverts calling back - ie someone calls a number at random, gets a female answer - and remembers the number to keep calling back?

I'm pretty sure that's the reason mum stopped saying the number when she answers.

[ForalltheSaints]

About 20 years ago in our family, in part to hope that we stop sales people calling again.

[UpsiLondoes]

Cigar your mum got it backwards - an answering machine was a burglar deterrent. If you didn't have one and were out - then the phone just rang and rang (we always answered back in the day as there was no "silent/off" switch to the ringer). But if your answering machine came on... Aha! Well Mr burglar, I could be having tea with the local copper and screening my calls, or having a meeting with the local rugby team.. You just don't know, Mr Burglar!

[tibbawyrots]

Used to answer the phone 555-1234 as a child but stopped when I moved out.

When I worked at directory enquiries we were not allowed to say "double" when giving the number as people got confused by it apparently 🙄

No idea what double could have been mistaken for but hey ho.

My ex doesn't say anything. He just waits in silence until the other person says "er hello?" And then he commands "speak!" Manners of a warthog that man. Sorry to insult warthogs.

I say "hi, Tibba speaking" usually as its my number for my business as well as my own number iyswim.

[MardAsSnails]

God my time on reception lead me to answer every telephone call with

'Good morning, John Smiths Ltd, this is Mard, how can I help you' I never actually worked for the Brewery

At home it was '1234' upon answering the phone at mums house. I stopped when I moved out and had no idea what my number actually was for ages.