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Phonetic alphabet- did you learn it?

shane86 · 2009-02-03 21:05:11

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=58788496#post58788496 Just a side bit from this, someone mentioned learning it in school. Did you? I have never heard an Irish person use it, thought it was military only. We never did, in fact the only time I heard an ounce of it was when on The Bill they would radio in…

03-02-2009 10:05pm

#1

shane86

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http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=58788496#post58788496

Just a side bit from this, someone mentioned learning it in school. Did you? I have never heard an Irish person use it, thought it was military only.

We never did, in fact the only time I heard an ounce of it was when on The Bill they would radio in "Sierra Oscar 25147" (and even then I assumed it was Oskah, not Oscar, given the London accent, thought it was some type of codeword ). The first time I ever heard it in real life was working in a call centre, some English guy started spelling out his email address "charliealphatango....." I type fairly fast so I typed out the entire words Quite a few of the English use it but I always assumed they were ex-services or whatever.

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#2 03-02-2009 10:10pm

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never did learn it but when I went to work for an online hotel booking site, all the travel agents used to use it and seeing as they could never figure out my name cos it's irish, I had to learn to spell that phonetically.

do you know what gets on my t*ts? why is the word phonetically, not spelled phonetically? hmm?? hmm?

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#3 03-02-2009 10:10pm

Sam Vimes

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yankee
Echo
Sierra

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#4 03-02-2009 10:11pm

cornbb

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Yankee Echo Sierra.

I think anyone who's done time in a call centre would probably know it too.

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#5 03-02-2009 10:11pm

Helix

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didnt learn it in school, but learned it in my own time a couple of years ago. it really helps with doing anything regarding serial numbers or codes over the phone

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#6 03-02-2009 10:12pm

galwayrush

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Kids learned it in pre school, :cool:

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#7 03-02-2009 10:13pm

Sam Vimes

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i use it all the time talking to foreign people on the phone or if the line is bad or whatever.

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#8 03-02-2009 10:14pm

celtic lady

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It is handy to know. I deal with customers all the time and if you're spelling something for them us can use it.:)

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#9 03-02-2009 10:14pm

Sam Vimes

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cornbb wrote: »

Yankee Echo Sierra.

I think anyone who's done time in a call centre would probably know it too.

I bravo echo alpha tango you :P

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#10 03-02-2009 10:15pm

Dord

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I learned it when I worked in a call center. It was almost a necessity.

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#11 03-02-2009 10:15pm

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galwayrush wrote: »

Kids learned it in pre school, :cool:

are you sure? cos my kid is learning phonetics in Montessori, as is the sounds of the letters, but the phonetic alphabet is different, it isn't really something they usually teach babies

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#12 03-02-2009 10:15pm

purplegeko

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Never learned it but sadly and geekily i know it because i was obsessed with the Bill when i was younger. Never used it also whenever i spell things out i always say stuff like e as in elephant b as in banana so it was totally worth my while wasting my youth learning phonetic alphabet while all my friends were having fun - i showed them.

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#13 03-02-2009 10:18pm

Sam Vimes

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I especially like words with W in them. mmmmm whiskey

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#14 03-02-2009 10:19pm

galwayrush

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Deleted User wrote: »

are you sure? cos my kid is learning phonetics in Montessori, as is the sounds of the letters, but the phonetic alphabet is different, it isn't really something they usually teach babies

They did phonetics and hand signs as well,:cool:

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#15 03-02-2009 10:20pm

Adam

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Deleted User wrote: »

are you sure? cos my kid is learning phonetics in Montessori, as is the sounds of the letters, but the phonetic alphabet is different, it isn't really something they usually teach babies

correct. they do not learn the phonetic alphabet in pre-school, or certainly not that i've ever heard of and i've worked in the sector.

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#16 03-02-2009 10:21pm

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I know a few hand signs too but I hope my daughter doesn't know them

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#17 03-02-2009 10:39pm

yermandan

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I had to learn it when I was training for Air Traffic Control.....I've actually used it quite a bit outside aviation too though!

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#18 03-02-2009 11:18pm

ejmaztec

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I knew it but now only substitute abusive words for letters of the alphabet.

A = Arse
B = Bollocks
C = ?

etc...

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#19 03-02-2009 11:33pm

Talliesin

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I think there may be some confusion between posters thinking of phonetic spellings (as in fonetik spellingz) and what is strictly a radiotelephony spelling alphabet, like the international radiotelephony spelling alphabet and variants.

There's nothing worse than trying to deal with someone on the phone spelling something if they don't know it and either use the letters that sound like each other or search though their vocabularly for ideas of their own. Really people, it takes no time to learn, learn it.

Funnily enough though, I was once spelling Chapelizod to someone on the phone and was interrupted by them asking me what letter Zulu started with.

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#20 03-02-2009 11:35pm

tolosenc

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Yes. I took a phonetics course in college last year that tought the IPA.

I learned the NATO spelling alphabet somewhere else though.

In fairness, Yankee_Echo_Sierra rolls off the tongue a little easier than voiceless-palatal-fricative_midopen-front-vowel_voiceless-alveolar-fricative.

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#21 03-02-2009 11:42pm

Gloom

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GOLDEN GIRL
LUCY LAMP
OSCAR ORANGE
OSCAR ORANGE
MUNCHING MIKE

IMPY INK
SAMMY SNAKE

CLEVER CAT
OSCAR ORANGE
NOISY NICK
FIREMAN FRED
UPPY UMBRELLA
SAMMY SNAKE
EDDY ELEPHANT
DIPPY DUCK

/caps.

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#22 03-02-2009 11:42pm

Conor108

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Frankly after a few seasons of 24 you're pretty much fluent

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#23 03-02-2009 11:44pm

peanuthead

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cornbb wrote: »

Yankee Echo Sierra.

I think anyone who's done time in a call centre would probably know it too.

Yeah learned it in a call centre, not in school though

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#24 03-02-2009 11:46pm

KateF

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Its new in schools. Its the way the children learn the alphabet now as its thought it helps them to read more easily. (Because they are automatically sounding out the word in their head- where as we would have learned the letter name, and the sound, they are now combining the 2...if ya get me?)

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#25 03-02-2009 11:48pm

Random

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I can never get used to the "/" one no matter how often I hear it lol.

Any UK based call centre just drives you mad with it !

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#26 03-02-2009 11:49pm

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KateF wrote: »

Its new in schools. Its the way the children learn the alphabet now as its thought it helps them to read more easily. (Because they are automatically sounding out the word in their head- where as we would have learned the letter name, and the sound, they are now combining the 2...if ya get me?)

yeh I think that's what Talliesen was saying, that's not what the thread is about, there is a confusion between the phonetic alphabet and phonetics - I think!

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#27 03-02-2009 11:50pm

KateF

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Deleted User wrote: »

yeh I think that's what Talliesen was saying, that's not what the thread is about, there is a confusion between the phonetic alphabet and phonetics - I think!

Ah. Ok. Thanks whoopsadaisy!

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#28 03-02-2009 11:55pm

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KateF wrote: »

Ah. Ok. Thanks whoopsadaisy!

god my post seems like I was telling you off for getting it wrong whoops...

well, I wasn't, honest

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#29 04-02-2009 12:22am

Capt'n Midnight

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Bad memories ...
"eff for sugar" English people who can't even speak their own language :mad:

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#30 04-02-2009 12:27am

Run_to_da_hills

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Learned it off by heart from my early CB and cop radio scanning days.

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#31 04-02-2009 12:39am

spatchco

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love telling people to foxtrot oscar,and they look at me strangly,and on the subject why dont we use the 24 hour clock,three clock in the afternoon its 15.00 hr

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#32 04-02-2009 12:42am

xOxSinéadxOx

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what is the phonetic alphabet?

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#33 04-02-2009 1:06am

Sofaspud

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I've been working in a call centre nearly 2 years now, I'm sure I'd remember it if I tried very hard, but when I'm actually on a call I'm completely fucked if I can remember the phonetics.

When you're asking for one specific letter, suddenly all knowledge of that letters existance disappears from your brain, unless involved in a dirty word.

"So that's P, for . . . . umm . . . . . . . . . . ahh yes, Penis?"

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#34 04-02-2009 1:07am

spatchco

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xoxsineadxox,,, phonetic as in phone,worldwide use for radio telephone that it in simple form i am sure somebody will come back and reply .
x=x-ray
o=oscar
x=x-ray
s=sierra
i=india
n=november
e=echo
a=alpha
d=delta
x=x-ray
o=oscar
x=x-ray

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#35 04-02-2009 1:11am

Capt'n Midnight

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xOxSinéadxOx wrote: »

what is the phonetic alphabet?

It's like a tracker mortguage

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#36 04-02-2009 1:15am

dcukhunter

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I had to learn it for work when we would be using the radio's.

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#37 04-02-2009 1:21am

Peteee

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Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is this all about then?

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#38 04-02-2009 1:47am

Susannahmia

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That's honestly the first time I've even heard of it. So that's what that dell call center guy was saying to me the last time I had to call them, I just thought he was a bit mad. Oh well you learn something new everyday.

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#39 04-02-2009 2:13am

Jazzy

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i learned the greek alphabet

but that was thanks to a computer game (god bless mechwarrior 2 )

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#40 04-02-2009 2:45am

Posy

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Phonetic alphabet:

A Alpha
B Bravo
C Charlie
D Delta
E Echo
F Foxtrot
G Golf
H Hotel
I India
J Juliet
K Kilo
L Lima
M Mike
N November
O Oscar
P Papa
Q Quebec
R Romeo
S Sierra
T Tango
U Uniform
V Victor
W Whiskey
X X-ray
Y Yankee
Z Zulu*

Saves people saying 'did you say B or C..?' etc
Especially important for flight numbers/car registrations where a wrong letter means trouble.

*I think they're all correct- I could stand corrected.

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#41 04-02-2009 2:48am

Steyr

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Caderyn wrote: »

Phonetic alphabet:

A Alpha
B Bravo
C Charlie
D Delta
E Echo
F Foxtrot
G Golf
H Hotel
I India
J Juliet
K Kilo
L Lima
M Mike
N November
O Oscar
P Papa
Q Quebec
R Romeo
S Sierra
T Tango
U Uniform
V Victor
W Whiskey
X X-ray
Y Yankee
Z Zulu*

Saves people saying 'did you say B or C..?' etc
Especially important for flight numbers/car registrations where a wrong letter means trouble.

*I think they're all correct- I could stand corrected.

Perfect.

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#42 04-02-2009 3:11am

Posy

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Woo-hoo!

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#43 04-02-2009 3:29am

Run_to_da_hills

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Again.

A Alpha
B Bravo
C Charlie
D Delta
E Echo
F Foxtrot
G Golf
H Hotel
I India
J Juliet
K Kilo
L Lima
M Mike
N November
O Oscar
P Papa
Q Quebec
R Romeo
S Sierra
T Tango
U Uniform
V Victor
W Whiskey
X X-ray
Y Yankee
Z Zulu*

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#44 04-02-2009 3:43am

bealbocht

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tried to learn in when working in a call center for a bit. Well I looked at the list a few times. If never really registered with me either, when people were calling things out to me.

My main problem was , I could only ever think of swear/rude words when thinking of a letter..

A = a-hole
B = bollix
C = c-nt
d - dickhead
e - eejit ..
f- fcuk
g ... mm never really worked out a full list,

could have been something to do with the customers I was dealing with all day. So thought it best, to just try to avoid the whole thing, before I said something I shouldnt have.

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#45 04-02-2009 8:25am

marcsignal

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Theres a new one for the recession

A - Arsehole
B - Brian
C - Cowen
D - Depression
E - Economy
F - Fucked
G - Gobshites
H - Hopeless
I - Incompetent
J - Jeasus
K - Kamikaze
L - Laughable
M - Morons
N - Negligent
O - Obscene
P - Pricks
Q - Quango
R - Rip-off
S - Suicide
T - Terrible
U - Unholy
V - Vultures
W - Wankers
X - X-ray (omitted due to HSE cut backs)
Y - Yes-men
Z - Zero

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#46 04-02-2009 9:26am

Sam Vimes

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spatchco wrote: »

xoxsineadxox,,, phonetic as in phone,worldwide use for radio telephone that it in simple form i am sure somebody will come back and reply .
x=x-ray
o=oscar
x=x-ray
s=sierra
i=india
n=november
e=echo
a=alpha
d=delta
x=x-ray
o=oscar
x=x-ray

or of course:

Yankee Oscar Romeo Echo Mike Alpha

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#47 04-02-2009 9:35am

0ubliette

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cornbb wrote: »

Yankee Echo Sierra.

I think anyone who's done time in a call centre would probably know it too.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

Yep learnt it from my punishment years spent in a call centre too. I always get the feeling when using it now around people who obviously dont know it tho, that they think im some kind of andy mcnab military nut or something when im on the phone going 'foxtrot uniform charlie kilo' etc etc

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#48 04-02-2009 12:09pm

gamblitis

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For some reason I learned it in secondary school and what wasn't due to classes.There was one room we had a class in that had a massive poster outside of it with the whole Phonetic Alphabet and all the hand signals on it too. Never really got around to learning the hand signals though :-/

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#49 04-02-2009 1:00pm

midlandsmissus

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I did learn it school, can only remember a few of them. If you ever ring phone companies about anything, and you give them your details, they ask immediately 'is that alpha tango echo whatever' and I'm like just gimme my minutes for god's sake!!!!'

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#50 04-02-2009 1:15pm

DevilsBreath

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Didn't learn it in school but had to learn it for my job.

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