Favorite ways to say "hello" and "bye"

November 9, 2005 9:00 AM

What are some of your favorite ways to say "hello" and "bye"?

(to greet friends that you already know, I'm not looking for pick-up lines)

posted by Sharcho to Writing & Language (55 answers total)

Hello = "What's up, pissflaps?"

Goodbye = "Yeah."
posted by jon_kill at 9:09 AM on November 9, 2005

"SPEAK!"
posted by Hildago at 9:14 AM on November 9, 2005

For 'Hello', I like to use the "Yay yay!" part from Ice Cub's "Pushin' Weight". (I think it's also in the lead up from "We Be Clubbin'")

On the phone, I occasionally substitute saying "Mike Jones" (in a semi-serious tone) for goodbye.

I don't have many friends left.
posted by PantsOfSCIENCE at 9:16 AM on November 9, 2005 [2 favorites]

Hello: "hey"
Bye: "later"
posted by deborah at 9:34 AM on November 9, 2005

Hello = "Greetings."
Bye = "Be good."
posted by jdroth at 9:41 AM on November 9, 2005

Hello = "Moshi moshi!" I think it's Japanese.
Goodbye = "Take care."
posted by Coffeemate at 9:44 AM on November 9, 2005

hello (in person): hey
hello (on phone): yello
goodbye (either way): take care
posted by dlugoczaj at 9:49 AM on November 9, 2005

hello = "howdy"
I think my midwestern accent gives it a unique sound.
bye = "So long"
I have no idea why it means goodbye, but i really enjoy saying it.
posted by klarck at 9:50 AM on November 9, 2005

Yo, later.
posted by TurkishGolds at 9:51 AM on November 9, 2005

Salut, yo
Ciao, tchô
posted by XiBe at 9:57 AM on November 9, 2005 [1 favorite]

bye: "take care" or "peace" (short for peace out...?)
posted by pants at 9:58 AM on November 9, 2005

hello (phone): giddyup
hello (in person): hey hey
goodbye (phone): hasta
goodbye (in person): later
posted by scottymacten at 9:59 AM on November 9, 2005

Hello: Wotcha.
Goodbye: Ciao.
posted by schwa at 10:00 AM on November 9, 2005

Phone:

Hello: Yeah
Hello: What
Hello: This is Derek

Goodbye: Bye
Goodbye: (hangup without saying anything)

In person:

Hello: Hello Friends!
Goodbye: See you nerds later!
posted by angry modem at 10:05 AM on November 9, 2005

Hello (to my boyfriend): Osssss. ('Ohayo' in the old man style)
Goodbye (by email): Keep your nose clean.
Or: End Transmission
posted by Alison at 10:06 AM on November 9, 2005

One can never go wrong with "Oh-hoy-hoy?"
posted by robocop is bleeding at 10:19 AM on November 9, 2005

Ahoy-Hoy!

It's Simpsons reference, but there's some history to it.
posted by Heminator at 10:19 AM on November 9, 2005 [2 favorites]

Damnit, Heminator beat me to it.
posted by Stauf at 10:24 AM on November 9, 2005

For the most part I say "hey" to greet people.

As far as departure, I normally say "later" or "I'm outie". If I'm exiting a conversation that isn't to my liking, I say "good day" while I'm stomping off.
posted by superkim at 10:27 AM on November 9, 2005

"What's up bitches?" (to, of course, be followed by, "Later, bitches!")
posted by Robot Johnny at 10:28 AM on November 9, 2005

hello - what's new? (works best after eye contact/nod to acknowledge presence)
hello - word

goodbye - ciao
goodbye - cheers / cheerio
posted by whatitis at 10:34 AM on November 9, 2005

I have a friend who regularly answers the phone with a commanding "Go:" - results in an awkward pause from the caller they're not familiar with said friend's phone greeting minimalism.
posted by porntips guzzardo at 10:48 AM on November 9, 2005

On Phone: Pronto! (Italians are so lucky.)
Goodbye: Laters taters. (I know, I know...)
posted by Jofus at 10:48 AM on November 9, 2005

Hello: What's the good news?

Goodbye: Keep it real.
posted by rabbitsnake at 10:55 AM on November 9, 2005

"Greetings, Program!
posted by johngoren at 10:59 AM on November 9, 2005

Hello = "Moshi moshi!" I think it's Japanese.
Actually, it's more mooshi mooshi, and only used when answering the telephone.

Hello: Kaor ! (from ERB's Barsoom)
Goodbye: Tschuß !
... which is contemporary German, kind of a combination of Bye-bye, Dismissed, and The Village's "Be Seeing You!"
posted by Rash at 11:02 AM on November 9, 2005

Hello (on IM): j0

(But only ironically.)

Hello (on phone): Bula vinaka, beachside!

(When a telemarketer calls.)
posted by kindall at 11:04 AM on November 9, 2005

Hello: Negro! (p. Knee-grow)
Goodbye: Later on...
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 11:11 AM on November 9, 2005

hello: Hey there
bye: See you
posted by KathyK at 11:13 AM on November 9, 2005

hello: woof

Had a friend, Christian Star Wars/Sci-fi fan, who made "godspeed" work pretty well as a goodbye.
posted by furiousthought at 11:21 AM on November 9, 2005

Goodbye: "Easy." (take it easy).
posted by ldenneau at 12:09 PM on November 9, 2005

Hello (Phone): "Mike's House of Chicken and Waffles"
"Tino's Lotto, Ammo, and Diaper Emporium"
"Domino's Pizza, pickup or delivery?"
"Hello, and thank you for calling Charlie. If you know your party's extension, you may dial it at any time..."
"Holla."
"Challah."
"Challah Bread."
"Bread"
"Dough"
"Pizza"
"Pepperoni"
"Ass crack"
"Monkey poo."
(I've kept up this kind of tag-you're-it stream of consciousness phone greeting game with a couple friends now for years.)

Goodbye (Phone): Hanging up just before the person on the other end says goodbye. Then calling back and saying "Sorry, I'm on a cell phone, and we got cut off. What were you about to say?" then just as they say "Oh, nothing, that was it, I was just about to say -" hang up again. Rinse, repeat.
posted by ChasFile at 12:24 PM on November 9, 2005

My friend Jon has been saying "Bye! Love your hair! Hope you win!" to everybody and it cracks me up.
posted by nicwolff at 12:36 PM on November 9, 2005 [1 favorite]

Hello: "Hey what's up?" or "Who's this suspicious character"

Goodbye: "See ya"
posted by muddgirl at 12:48 PM on November 9, 2005

Hello: Bueno, yello
Goodbye: Smell you later! Smell you later forever!, I said good day!, I'm glad you got to see me.
posted by sugarfish at 12:59 PM on November 9, 2005 [1 favorite]

Sometimes I say "Word" when I answer my cell phone.

I also like to use "bounce" as a synonym for "leave," ex: "okay, I'm going to bounce."
posted by Yelling At Nothing at 1:05 PM on November 9, 2005

hello = "howdy" or "what's shakin'?"
bye = "..." (i.e., nothing) or "alrighty-then"
posted by Mike C. at 1:24 PM on November 9, 2005

Hello: "oil"
Bye: "lurts"

Expand as desired. For example:

"oil eye looance"
"lurts burts"

This pretty much won't make sense to anyone who doesn't know me.
posted by Orange Goblin at 1:35 PM on November 9, 2005

Rash: It's definitely "moshi moshi," how it's written, and the romaji "o" is pretty much the same as the English one.
posted by abcde at 1:43 PM on November 9, 2005

I calls 'em how I hear 'em.
posted by Rash at 1:59 PM on November 9, 2005

Hello: "Yo."
"Hello, David."
"David?"
"What up?"
"Yes."
"Whaaaat's happening?"

Good-bye: "Later."
"Alright."
"Adios."
posted by ludwig_van at 2:01 PM on November 9, 2005

"Yo bitches! yo sluts! Whattup?" (for my fellow clerks-obsessed friends) or "Hey" or "Hullo" or "Sup"

"Later" or "Seeya" or "Night" or "Hasta"
posted by phearlez at 2:03 PM on November 9, 2005

Hihi.
Byebye.
posted by panoptican at 2:38 PM on November 9, 2005

Hello: 'Greetings', 'What is crack a lacking?'

Goodbye: 'Ciao, Francesco Renaldi.' 'I love you. Don't ever change. Seriously.' 'I'm so glad we had this time to spend together' 'Nobody moves, nobody gets hurt'.
posted by haqspan at 2:53 PM on November 9, 2005 [1 favorite]

Hello: "Howyadoin'?"
Goddbye: "Semper Fi."
posted by jonmc at 3:16 PM on November 9, 2005

Hello: "Yo motherfucker", "Dudester!" and "How's yer bum for cracking walnuts, you old cunt?"

Goodbye: "See ya", "Arrivederci", "Mind the trams" and "Until the next time, babe". I only use the last one for my male friends.
posted by Decani at 3:36 PM on November 9, 2005

Hello: "Wasabi"/"Wasabi Guiseppe"; "Ahoy-hoy"

Goodbye: "peace" ; "Later on" ; "I'm out"
posted by blastrid at 4:02 PM on November 9, 2005

hello:

what's (poppin/bangin/crackin/jumpin/janglin) (baby/playa/homie/dogg/dude/brother/banker/pimpin/etc)?

what's up (homeslice/homeskillet/cheese food/montgomery/etc)?

goodbye:

good

OK

allright, then.
posted by rxrfrx at 4:59 PM on November 9, 2005

Sometimes, I either call an old friend of mine with ""Fekui-san! Fekui-san!" or more often he just answers any phone call with "Go, Ohta."

I usually answer the phone with "Yello", but there are a lot of jerks that think it is funny to respond with "Blue!" or "Orange!" I hate those people.

For goodbye, I prefer "Be seeing you..." or "Good hunting" or "Sniff you jerks later".
posted by The Bishop of Turkey at 5:07 PM on November 9, 2005

Hello: 'allo, like the german pronunciation
Bye: adios amigos! and quite often, "all the best in between!"
posted by indigoskynet at 2:27 AM on November 10, 2005

Sometimes i'll answer my phone "Speak." if i'm in a rush...people usually give me some kind of incredulous response.

On a less wacky note, if i know who's calling, I've always found that a sweetly delivered "Hey, you" implies a level of affection for the person that goes beyond the sum of its parts.
posted by softlord at 5:56 AM on November 10, 2005

Hello on Phone: WhoDis?
Goodbye: Later Gater....
posted by TheFeatheredMullet at 8:21 AM on November 10, 2005

In Person:
Hola
'Ello
Greets
Felicitations
Salut
Yad Ho, Groja UL (from the Belgariad by David Eddings)

On the phone:
Lord of a Fevers and Plagues
Man Made Monkies
etc..

My goodbye is usually just: Peace (taken from The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan)
posted by Ikazuchi at 8:54 AM on November 10, 2005

To my friends and fiancée:
Hello: Salut
Goodbye: pa / la revedere

Classmates & colleagues:
Hello
do-svidanye

My brother always answers his cell phone with "jambo!"
posted by vkxmai at 10:20 AM on November 10, 2005

Howdy!
posted by Ogre Lawless at 10:20 AM on November 10, 2005