darcy to No Stupid Questions • 10 months agoWhy do Americans answer the phone with "Gopher"?message-square53fedilinkarrow-up196arrow-down140file-text
arrow-up156arrow-down1message-squareWhy do Americans answer the phone with "Gopher"?darcy to No Stupid Questions • 10 months agomessage-square53fedilinkfile-text
minus-square@PutangInaMolink122•edit-210 months agoI’m American and I’ve never heard this used. But after thinking about it, gopher is a play on words that means “go for”. So saying gopher John is like saying “go for John” and can be a greeting.
minus-square@thrawnlink68•10 months ago“Go for X” was somewhat common, including in media. I think OP was mishearing that. There’s virtually no way to differentiate between “gopher” and a rushed, casual “go for” in speech.
minus-squareCurious Canidlinkfedilink30•10 months agoMe too and me neither. I’m over sixty, I’ve lived in various parts of the country, and I’ve never head anyone say that. I want to know what that’s about too!
minus-squareGranitelinkfedilink6•10 months agoI’ve only ever used this on a movie set radio. It’s real but limited in its uses.
I’m American and I’ve never heard this used.
But after thinking about it, gopher is a play on words that means “go for”. So saying gopher John is like saying “go for John” and can be a greeting.
“Go for X” was somewhat common, including in media. I think OP was mishearing that. There’s virtually no way to differentiate between “gopher” and a rushed, casual “go for” in speech.
Me too and me neither. I’m over sixty, I’ve lived in various parts of the country, and I’ve never head anyone say that.
I want to know what that’s about too!
I’ve only ever used this on a movie set radio. It’s real but limited in its uses.