How should I answer my cell phone?

In My Humble Opinion
1

No I’m serious.

At home I perkily answer the land line with “Hello Everett’s residence, Kathryn speaking.” It flows, its happy and it gives me a second before I have to start thinking about dealing with another human being.

Recently I have come into possession of a cell phone. Cell phones have no residence and anyone calling it is looking for me. They got the number from me and they are probably expected to hear my voice, either a recording for a message or the real deal.

However, I don’t know how to answer it. “Hello.” is so blah, no beat, no information, and it gets a funky pause after it like what telemarketer calling software listens for. “Hi, Kathryn’s phone, Kathryn speaking” is silly.

Any suggestions from the crowd?

[sub]Please don’t turn this into an “I hate cell phones” deal. I like my annoyance machine and I work pretty hard to keep it from annoying anyone else. Thanks. [/sub]

2

“Ahoy hoy”

3

To borrow from Moses Gunn in ‘Shaft’:

‘Wrong Number’. In a friendly voice of course.

4

Ell! Jeez! I came in here to say that!!

I tells ya, it’s the quick and the dead around here.

5

In an ultra-grammatical sort of way, “Kathryn’s phone, this is she,” sounds kinda cool.

Corr

6

I just say “This is Richard”*.

Short, simple, works for me.

Ugly

*You may want to use your own name, of course. :wink:

7

You talk about Dopers having a one-track mind. I say the thread title, thought ‘Ahoy hoy’, and clicked. Damn you Ell, damn you to Hell.
(just kidding, I don’t really want you damned to Hell.)

8

For ease of use, considering my home training “kathryn’s phone, this is she.” may actually win out.
Though “This is Richard.” would work for some utterly devastating surrealism. (I just don’t know how many of my friends are stable enough to handle it. I think I’d use my sex kitten voice. Damn, verbal jokes don’t work online…)

And just because I love looking stupid, what is “ahoy hoy” from?

Thanks to everyone for their ideas!

9

Hey, Ho! (I thought it was funny, anyhow.)

Or, alternately, “Yeeeeeeeeeeesssss?”

10

blows finger, pretending to cool off pistol

I’m actually posting from Hell. Its too late to save me but save yourself[sub]ffffffffffffffffff[/sub]

11

I usually answer my cel “Joe’s Deli, Joe ain’t here,” but then again the people who call me the most are my family, who would get the reference. Of course, sometimes I answer “Los Angeles Zoo.”

If you have caller ID on your phone, answer the phone with the other person’s name. Just tell them you have Amazing Psychic Powers ™.

12

It’s Hawaiian for “hello”. Alexander Graham Bell originally wanted to use that to answer phones. And Mr. Burns from The Simpsons likes to answer his phone that way.

13

You could go old school on them with a “Who dis?” from Boyz N the Hood…

Jeez, that movie is 10yrs old now… damn I’m gettin’ old.

14

“Gotcha ya.”

Seriously, how about the simple but effective, “Hello, this is Kathryn.”

Or, “Hello, you’ve reached my body. My mind’s not in right now, but if you’ll leave a conversation, it will eventually get back to you.”

15

“Pool hall.”

“Thank you for calling Wok n’ Go; will this be for takeout or delivery?”

Or, in Bugs Bunny fashion: “Start talkin’. It’s your nickel.”

Dr. J

16

“Hello. Kathryn speaking.”

17

I sometimes say: “Forward torpedo room.” or “Main gate, Saint Peter speaking.” But that’s just me. Besides, the only person who ever calls me on my cell phone is my wife, and I don’t know what she’d be calling you for.

Maybe you could use “Ola”, or “Mushi Mushi.”?

Or how about “Talk to me” Use your sex-kitten voice.

18

Chalk up another who wanted to run in here and say “Ahoy hoy!”

But props to mrblue for the crossthread reference. Very nice.

19

I think this is from a Bruce Willis movie but a friend of mine answers his, “Go”.

Me: “This is Steve.”

My dad: “Stone.”

20

I have no idea if your phone will do this, but the more common people who call me are programed into my phone, so the phone displays their name when they call me – I answer whatever may be approiate for my friend…

if its a number I don’t know – whatever soudns good at the moment – its my cell phone, I reserve the right to goof off on it.