# No, you don't remember when a hashtag was called a pound sign. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 23, 2014, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-dont-remember-when-a-hashtag-was-called-a-pound-sign/691448 "2014-06-23T14:55:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-dont-remember-when-a-hashtag-was-called-a-pound-sign/691448/1 "2014-06-23T14:55:10Z")
Because it never was. The # symbol is commonly called a number sign, a pound sign (in the US), a sharp, and a hash among other things. It is not called a hashtag by anyone except people who think they are being clever and snarky. A hashtag is a tag prefixed with a hash. The first time I saw this was in a Non Sequitur cartoon from May. Somebody tried to explain the confusion in the comments, but was ignored by the “Twittur yoosers r sooo stoopit” brigade. Since then I’ve seen it pop up on Facebook in other forms a few times. Granted, a lot of Twitter users do seem somewhat deficient in the IQ area, but not because of the use of the term hashtag. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-dont-remember-when-a-hashtag-was-called-a-pound-sign/691448/2 "2014-06-23T15:01:04Z")
I remember when dialing phone numbers was not a metaphorical concept. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-dont-remember-when-a-hashtag-was-called-a-pound-sign/691448/3 "2014-06-23T15:01:09Z")
also an octothorp. ---
**Author:** ![elninost0rm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ed655f/32.png) [@elninost0rm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elninost0rm)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-dont-remember-when-a-hashtag-was-called-a-pound-sign/691448/4 "2014-06-23T15:03:48Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > I remember when dialing phone numbers was not a metaphorical concept. We can close this now. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-dont-remember-when-a-hashtag-was-called-a-pound-sign/691448/5 "2014-06-23T15:05:55Z")
“Grandpa, what’s a dial tone?” ---
**Author:** ![Find\_Friends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@Find\_Friends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Find_Friends)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-dont-remember-when-a-hashtag-was-called-a-pound-sign/691448/6 "2014-06-23T15:11:39Z")
> [@AncientHumanoid](#): > > “Grandpa, what’s a dial tone?” “Grandma, why do they show televisions taking a while to stop being blurry or scrambled?” ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-dont-remember-when-a-hashtag-was-called-a-pound-sign/691448/7 "2014-06-23T15:22:48Z")
#notclearonhowlanguageworks ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-dont-remember-when-a-hashtag-was-called-a-pound-sign/691448/8 "2014-06-23T15:24:03Z")
“Grandma, where are all your naked selfies from when you were a girl?” ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-dont-remember-when-a-hashtag-was-called-a-pound-sign/691448/9 "2014-06-23T15:25:08Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > #notclearonhowlanguageworks #yesallanaswers ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-dont-remember-when-a-hashtag-was-called-a-pound-sign/691448/10 "2014-06-23T15:27:17Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > Because it never was. Now wait just a minute! A hashtag most certainly was called a pound sign. You can still find it on phones and… > [@Doug\_K](#): > > The # symbol is commonly called a number sign, a pound sign (in the US), a sharp, and a hash among other things. It is not called a hashtag by anyone except people who think they are being clever and snarky. A hashtag is a tag prefixed with a hash. Oh, so you know how the pound sign also became known as a hashtag, you just don’t have any idea how language works. That’s a shame. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-dont-remember-when-a-hashtag-was-called-a-pound-sign/691448/11 "2014-06-23T15:29:10Z")
You can also play tic-tac-toe on one of those **#** do-lollies. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-dont-remember-when-a-hashtag-was-called-a-pound-sign/691448/12 "2014-06-23T15:57:24Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Now wait just a minute! A hashtag most certainly was called a pound sign. You can still find it on phones and… > > Oh, so you know how the pound sign also became known as a hashtag, you just don’t have any idea how language works. That’s a shame. Yes, I know how language works. I also know that the pound sign did not become known as a hashtag. #thisisahashtag is a hashtag. # is not. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-dont-remember-when-a-hashtag-was-called-a-pound-sign/691448/13 "2014-06-23T16:02:56Z")
The Oxford English Dictionary disagrees with you, but what do they know? ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-dont-remember-when-a-hashtag-was-called-a-pound-sign/691448/14 "2014-06-23T16:04:13Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > Yes, I know how language works. I also know that the pound sign did not become known as a hashtag. #thisisahashtag is a hashtag. # is not. I actually wasn’t completely aware of that. Ignorance fought, thanks. Unfortunately, as a descriptivist, I also have to agree with the other posters: It is now. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-dont-remember-when-a-hashtag-was-called-a-pound-sign/691448/15 "2014-06-23T16:06:05Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > Yes, I know how language works. I also know that the pound sign did not become known as a hashtag. #thisisahashtag is a hashtag. # is not. Feel free to rage against the storm but the world has already passed you by. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-dont-remember-when-a-hashtag-was-called-a-pound-sign/691448/16 "2014-06-23T16:30:17Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > Yes, I know how language works. I also know that the pound sign did not become known as a hashtag. #thisisahashtag is a hashtag. # is not. Funny thing: In my head, as I read what you wrote, the “reading voice” goes like this: “thisisahashtag is a hashtag. hashtag is not.” ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-dont-remember-when-a-hashtag-was-called-a-pound-sign/691448/17 "2014-06-23T16:35:25Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > Yes, I know how language works. I also know that the pound sign did not become known as a hashtag. #thisisahashtag is a hashtag. # is not. I think this distinction began getting lost when people started verbalizing hashtags. “Hashtag I’m a moron!” and so forth. That phrasing implies that the # symbol is indeed pronounced as “hashtag”. Granted, I’m with you in wanting to stab in the eye anyone who does this, but that won’t help things, sadly. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-dont-remember-when-a-hashtag-was-called-a-pound-sign/691448/18 "2014-06-23T16:39:42Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Feel free to rage against the storm but the world has already passed you by. Exactly. Language evolves. It’s not really under anybody’s control. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-dont-remember-when-a-hashtag-was-called-a-pound-sign/691448/19 "2014-06-23T17:05:02Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > I remember when dialing phone numbers was not a metaphorical concept. Likewise with hanging up the phone. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-dont-remember-when-a-hashtag-was-called-a-pound-sign/691448/20 "2014-06-23T17:09:20Z")
likewise with having a phone ring. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-dont-remember-when-a-hashtag-was-called-a-pound-sign/691448.md?page=2)