# What Do You Say To A Ghost?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-say-to-a-ghost/538804>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [May 9, 2010, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-say-to-a-ghost/538804 "2010-05-09T08:14:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-say-to-a-ghost/538804/41 "2010-05-11T15:45:59Z")

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> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#):
>
> “Hello, Ghost.”

That was the other answer I was going to give.

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**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-say-to-a-ghost/538804/42 "2010-05-11T15:53:10Z")

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Say whatever you want, but don’t goose it. You could well wind up with a handful of sheet.

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**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-say-to-a-ghost/538804/43 "2010-05-11T15:53:31Z")

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“Mel Gibson’s career, I presume?”

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-say-to-a-ghost/538804/44 "2010-05-11T16:23:34Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Find out the ghost’s name and age so you can count it on your census form.

Nah, they’re only interested in folks _living_ there.

As for the rest, it would depend greatly on the context. Is it the ghost of someone I knew? In that case, I’d talk or otherwise interact with him or her as I normally would with that person. Otherwise, I’d probably just say something introductory like “Yes, can I help you?”, and take it from there.

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**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-say-to-a-ghost/538804/45 "2010-05-12T00:11:33Z")

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> [@Cuckoorex](#):
>
> Guess it depends on the situation; Amy Bruni on the show Ghost Hunters once came up with a gem: while investigating a stable where a spectral horse was supposedly sighted, she famously attempted to elicit a response by asking, “Are you a horse?” and that was quickly followed up by co-investigator Dave Tango asking, “Do you _look_ like a horse?”
> 
> That was one of the greatest moments in the history of reality TV.

I dunno, but I think I can trump you…I saw one where this one stud was trying to get Hitler’s ghost to materialize. “I command you to appear!”  
You can bet, if I were der Fuhrer, I would certainly obey orders from some guy wearing capris, with his hat on backwards!

Best wishes,  
hh

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