Oh, hey! Hi! What's up? How's it going? How you doing? How you been?

What's up? I know, I know you get the point. But did you get the point?

All those things I just said to you. What would you call those?

Did you say...A greeting? Nice. But when it comes to greetings, how do you know what to say?

Oh, there's my cell phone. Sorry, I've been expecting a call.

But wait, when I answer the phone, what should I say? Oh, I know. I'll just say...A hoi!

Huh? You're probably thinking...A hoi? Why would I say a hoi?

Don't only sailors say a hoi? A hoi, maybe!

Well, it's true. A hoi is something sailors say to greet another ship as it passes by.

But nobody says that on the telephone. Right? That would be...weird.

But as weird as it sounds, that's exactly what Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone,

suggested people say every time they answer the phone.

A hoi!

So, what do you say when you answer the phone? Did you say...

Hello? Of course you did. But who came up with saying hello?

Would you believe it was none other than Thomas Edison?

inventor of many things, but not the telephone. Of course, Alexander Graham Bell thought saying hello was ridiculous.

He said...

Hello? Hello isn't it greeting? Hello is something you say when you're surprised or excited?

Like, hello? I can't just throw up. Oh.

I just spilled hot tea on my trousers. Hello!

To which Edison responded... Getting a phone call is surprising and exciting we should show our excitement with our answer. Hello!

...