Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

secjill · Joined: 02 Jul 2007 Posts: 51

Hi,

Could anyone advise what you call this symbol "#"?
thanks a lot

Lorikeet · Joined: 08 Oct 2005 Posts: 1877 Location: San Francisco

It has more than one name. People in the U.S. often call it a "pound sign". That is what you will often hear on the phone. ("After you finish putting in the number of your account, push the pound sign.") I have also heard it called a number sign. I believe there are other names as well.

Anuradha Chepur · Joined: 20 May 2006 Posts: 933

Also called "hash" as in "hash key" (shift 3).
"sharp" in C# (C sharp) programming language.

buddhaheart · Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 8:58 pm Post subject:

According to AskOxford.com, it�s also called �the picturesque name 'octothorpe'.� �It is said to have been invented by an employee of Bell Laboratories in the 1960s, in honour of the American athlete Jim Thorpe. In the large form in which it appears on modern telephones it is sometimes called 'square'.�