# What is @ called??

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-called/207339
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [October 14, 2003, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-called/207339 "2003-10-14T07:50:38Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Page:** 2

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### Author: ![trabi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecae2f/32.png) [@trabi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trabi)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2003, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-called/207339/21 "2003-10-15T08:07:36Z")

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We were taught at school to call it the “at sign,” as in:

three apples @ 20p = 60p (three apples **AT** 20p [each] equals 60p)

[slight hijack]

In English, its hijacking for use in email addresses makes sense: j.smith **AT** [domain.com](http://domain.com) etc.

However, some other languages that didn’t use it much prior to the advent of email have (perfectly understandably) missed the point, as it were. In Hungarian it’s called ‘kukac,’ which means **‘maggot’** or **‘worm’** (or even, in the right context, a certain male appendage). IIRC in another Euroean language (I can’t remember which, but possibly even more than one) it’s called a **snail**.

A Hungarian dictating an email address - even in a formal or business context - literally says: “j.smith, **WORM** , [domain.com](http://domain.com).”

[/slight hijack]

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