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Phonetic alphabet- did you learn it?

  • 03-02-2009 10:05PM
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,584 ✭✭✭


    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 :confused: ). 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 :confused: Quite a few of the English use it but I always assumed they were ex-services or whatever.


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Comments

  • Posts: 53,068 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    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?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,611 ✭✭✭✭Sam Vimes


    yankee
    Echo
    Sierra


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,790 ✭✭✭cornbb


    Yankee Echo Sierra.

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


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 17,661 ✭✭✭✭Helix


    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


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,816 ✭✭✭✭galwayrush


    Kids learned it in pre school, :cool:


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,611 ✭✭✭✭Sam Vimes


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


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 9 celtic lady


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


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,611 ✭✭✭✭Sam Vimes


    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


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 10,815 ✭✭✭✭Dord


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


  • Posts: 53,068 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    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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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 355 ✭✭purplegeko


    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.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,611 ✭✭✭✭Sam Vimes


    I especially like words with W in them. mmmmm whiskey


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,816 ✭✭✭✭galwayrush


    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:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 8,866 ✭✭✭Adam


    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.


  • Posts: 53,068 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


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


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,070 ✭✭✭yermandan


    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!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,369 ✭✭✭✭ejmaztec


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

    A = Arse
    B = Bollocks
    C = ?

    etc...


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 9,314 ✭✭✭Talliesin


    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.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,889 ✭✭✭tolosenc


    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.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 516 ✭✭✭Gloom


    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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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,871 ✭✭✭Conor108


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


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,111 ✭✭✭peanuthead


    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


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 244 ✭✭KateF


    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?)


  • Posts: 0 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    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 !


  • Posts: 53,068 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    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!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 244 ✭✭KateF


    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!


  • Posts: 53,068 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    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 :o


  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 99,589 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


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


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,009 ✭✭✭✭Run_to_da_hills


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


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 388 ✭✭spatchco


    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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