# "If you need assistance, press 'hash'" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 26, 2003, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-need-assistance-press-hash/184436 "2003-06-26T02:46:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-need-assistance-press-hash/184436/1 "2003-06-26T02:46:32Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-need-assistance-press-hash/184436/2 "2003-06-26T02:53:48Z")
You call the # ‘pound’? Here ‘pound’ is a reserved word, so we can’t use it for # ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-need-assistance-press-hash/184436/3 "2003-06-26T03:07:21Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![leechbabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@leechbabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leechbabe)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-need-assistance-press-hash/184436/4 "2003-06-26T03:44:22Z")
It’s called hash her in Australia. ---
**Author:** ![leechbabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@leechbabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leechbabe)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-need-assistance-press-hash/184436/5 "2003-06-26T03:45:50Z")
D’oh that is her **e** not her. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-need-assistance-press-hash/184436/6 "2003-06-26T03:48:36Z")
doesn’t # also mean ‘number’? ( **Q.E.D.?** ) ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-need-assistance-press-hash/184436/7 "2003-06-26T03:51:25Z")
“If you need hash, press assistance.” Note: this post is in no way intended to advocate the actual procurement and/or use of hash. ---
**Author:** ![BadBaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71c47a/32.png) [@BadBaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BadBaby)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-need-assistance-press-hash/184436/8 "2003-06-26T03:52:19Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-need-assistance-press-hash/184436/9 "2003-06-26T04:06:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lobsang \* > \*\*doesn’t # also mean ‘number’? > > ( **Q.E.D.?** ) \*\* 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. ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-need-assistance-press-hash/184436/10 "2003-06-26T04:09:58Z")
My dad once tried to spell “pound” on the keypad when presented with this instruction. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-need-assistance-press-hash/184436/11 "2003-06-26T05:09:54Z")
Less sophisticated folks around here call it a “tic-tac-toe” sign/symbol. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-need-assistance-press-hash/184436/12 "2003-06-26T07:44:36Z")
I’ve never heard # called hash, but that’s the first thing that popped into my head. I’ve always called it pound. ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Crunch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@Chief\_Crunch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Crunch)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-need-assistance-press-hash/184436/13 "2003-06-26T10:13:42Z")
I think its technical term is _octothorp_ ---
**Author:** ![elfje](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19b73/32.png) [@elfje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfje)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-need-assistance-press-hash/184436/14 "2003-06-26T10:29:35Z")
# 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. ---
**Author:** ![mallocks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f4b2a3/32.png) [@mallocks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mallocks)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-need-assistance-press-hash/184436/15 "2003-06-26T10:45:20Z")
similarly mistified about the ‘pound.’ Doubtless there’s a good reason, anyone care to enlighten me? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Francesca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Francesca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francesca)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-need-assistance-press-hash/184436/16 "2003-06-26T10:50:48Z")
Pound? I didn’t know you guys called it that. Hash hash hash. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-need-assistance-press-hash/184436/17 "2003-06-26T10:55:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BadBaby \* > 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. 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. ---
**Author:** ![Hattrick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/34f0e0/32.png) [@Hattrick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hattrick)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-need-assistance-press-hash/184436/18 "2003-06-26T10:57:02Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![Francesca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Francesca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francesca)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-need-assistance-press-hash/184436/19 "2003-06-26T10:58:47Z")
You mean that on keyboards, US keyboards have # where we have £ (that is, above the 3)? ---
**Author:** ![Hattrick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/34f0e0/32.png) [@Hattrick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hattrick)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-need-assistance-press-hash/184436/20 "2003-06-26T11:16:17Z")
yep, fran, same place on the keyboard. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-need-assistance-press-hash/184436.md?page=2)