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Hey

5 replies

bakedpotatoforlunch · 13/02/2024 07:38

Hey. As in a a greeting. Hey guys. Hey gang Or simply Hey.

I know it's been around for a few years now - no doubt inspired by creeping Americanisms in British English. I also realise that "Hi" was originally American and which I have no problem with and actually use myself regularly. Which demonstrates my own inconsistencies I guess. 😄

But Hey still grates. It feels to me more like a slightly impolite hailing for someone's attention than a friendly greeting.

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upinaballoon · 13/02/2024 17:32

All I can think is, "Hey, Jude."

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aitchteeaitch · 13/02/2024 17:35

Better than "Oi" I suppose, but not by much.😂

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BlindurErBóklausMaður · 13/02/2024 17:49

As @upinaballoon notes, it's been around for a long time. And the Beatles weren't American.

I don't think there were many Americans around in the 1200s which is when Hey first made an appearance in English. (I'd presumed it was derived from the Latin "ave" (hail) but I looked it up and seemingly not.) So it's clearly yet another example of language which originated here and then moved to America which is usually the case.

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CeliaCanth · 16/06/2024 21:05

A few people (usually younger colleagues) at work use it as an email greeting and I don’t like
it! It sounds abrupt and not particularly polite in my view.