Ever say "Hi?"

[Lamont Antieau]

If you are referring to such cases as walking up to a
seemingly abandoned customer service counter and trying to
get someone in the back room can help you, or wondering if
someone is at the other end of a very quiet phone line, I
would use "hello?" and never "hi?"  I can't say that I've
ever heard anybody use "hi?" in those situations either.

best,

L.Antieau

---- Original message ----
>Date: Sat, 2 Aug 2003 11:28:20 +0900
>From: Yass Shoji <yass67 at POPPY.OCN.NE.JP>
>Subject: Ever say "Hi?"
>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>
>---------------------- Information from the mail header -----
------------------
>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-
L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Poster:       Yass Shoji <yass67 at POPPY.OCN.NE.JP>
>Subject:      Ever say "Hi?"
>-------------------------------------------------------------
------------------
>
>Dear All,
>
>We do hear people saying "Hello?" But personally I've never
heard anybody
>saying "Hi?" Do you? Odd?
>
>Best wishes,
>Y.Shoji (Mr)