The Silence of the Protocols (Miss Manners)
“He then falls silent.”
I have an ongoing disagreement with my husband regarding telephone etiquette.
Yes? Please continue.
When he calls me, I pick up the phone and say “Hello” and he responds with “Hi.”
He then falls silent, expecting me to respond to his “Hi” with a “Hi” of my own.
I feel that, since he called me, and I have greeted him, it is not necessary to then respond to his greeting, as it would be redundant. So I just wait for him to tell me what he called about.
This irks him no end….
–Miss Manners, via The StarTribune, 13 May 2014
Image Credit: Photo–Kirk Livingston. Albert Birkle: Telegraph Operator, via the Minneapolis Institute of Arts
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