That’s what the lady on my London pal’s answering service said. Apparently they call it “hash” instead of “pound” (just to be different). Man, it’s like them British people got a whole 'nother language.
You call the # ‘pound’?
Here ‘pound’ is a reserved word, so we can’t use it for #
To clarify, the British call the # ‘hash’ so as not to confuse it with their currency, the pound, £. It isn’t to be different, it’s for clarity. And, in point of fact, the tern ‘hash’ for that symbol predates the use of the term ‘pound’ for it.
It’s called hash her in Australia.
D’oh that is here not her.
doesn’t # also mean ‘number’?
(Q.E.D.?)
“If you need hash, press assistance.”
Note: this post is in no way intended to advocate the actual procurement and/or use of hash.
I’ve always thought calling it the pound sign rather odd. Hash makes more sense, in the US ‘number’ would make the most sense. Anywhere else except the phone, # does mean number.
Yep. In fact that’s what I grew up calling it, but as I got older I heard so many people calling it a pound sign, I started calling it that too.
My dad once tried to spell “pound” on the keypad when presented with this instruction.
Less sophisticated folks around here call it a “tic-tac-toe” sign/symbol.
I’ve never heard # called hash, but that’s the first thing that popped into my head. I’ve always called it pound.
I think its technical term is octothorp
is has in UK and IRL.
it’s called “hekje” (gate, or fence) in Dutch.
talk about weird, huh?
Can’t see the likeness to a pound, though.
Pound as in money, or as in weight?
either way, nope. Can’t see it.
similarly mistified about the ‘pound.’
Doubtless there’s a good reason, anyone care to enlighten me? 
Pound? I didn’t know you guys called it that. Hash hash hash.
I’m betting people would get confused and think it meant “any number on the pad,” though I can’t think of how they expected the average person to figure out what a “pound key” is.
I was always told that the reason for the use of the word pound for the # symbol. comes from the place on the old teletypes for international markets. the shift 3 or the English currency sign, was transmitted from say london market to Wall Street. the 'merkins not needing a symbol for the english pound used the # in the same position on the printing reels. when they asked for the symbol that was ment to be x-mitted london replied with ‘pound’
well it could be a whole different story but this one seems at least in the plausible realm of discussion
You mean that on keyboards, US keyboards have # where we have £ (that is, above the 3)?
yep, fran, same place on the keyboard.