The Most Idiotic...

[bainbrig]

I was on the phone to Kaspersky’s so-called Help Line speaking to possibly the most stupid person I’ve ever come across.

She couldn’t grasp my email address (CAT etc) so asked me to spell it out.

“Charlie Alpha Tango” I began.

“Could you please spell that.”

“What?”

“The first word.”

She meant CHARLIE.....

[retrocop]

Ummm
My surname is very Germanic and has 10 letters in total. When asked to spell it over thephone I say," I will spell it phonetically as follows, L for LIMA,I for INDIA etc etc. The lst 4 letters always cause mistakes.
BUMM,BERG,BORG,BORN,BURM. None of those are correct so phonetics it has to be.

[ummmm]

I said that earlier in the thread. You have to say A is for Alpha.

[Canary42]

/// You have to say A is for Alpha. ///

That's right, except for frequent users like the police, armed forces, DVLA, etc. it is not enough just to rattle off (for example) Hotel Echo Lima Lima Oscar, but H for Hotel, E for Echo, L for Lima, L for Lima, O for Oscar.

[Zacs-Master]

If they can understand the 'A' in 'A is for Alpha. there's no point in saying Alpha!

[bainbrig]

Ummm. Idiot?

If a call-centre person says “Please spell that” and the ‘that’ is CAT, and youenunciate SEEE (for C), and they reply “B.” or “V”? What on earth choice have you got apart from going for the internationally-agreed phonetic alphabet?

Idiot.

[ummmm]

Zacs...completely agree, but BB is talking about people who work in call centres.

When I worked with cars my calls would be 'November November 1 Echo Lima Hotel' etc

With my bank or a call centre who just couldn't spell my name...it's different.

[Jackdaw33]

Actually I think 'Charlie' is wrong as unless you are familiar with the word it does not represent the initial sound.

[TonyV]

Charlie is correct. This the only one I know and use.

phonetic alphabet

[bainbrig]

Jackdaw (Actually I think 'Charlie' is wrong as unless you are familiar with the word it does not represent the initial sound.)

Take it up with NATO.

[TonyV]

2nd tango Romeo yanky

https://www.historyonthenet.com/phonetic-alphabet-how-soldiers-communicated

[Tilly2]

The words are carefully chosen so as not to be able to mistake them for something else, when hearing them. They don't have/ are not, homophones.

[retrocop]

I believe the original pre NATO phonetic alphabet C always has been 'Charlie' whereas A=Apple, B=Bertie,D =Dog, F=Freddie or Fox etc etc

[Tilly2]

I used to love watching Juliet Bravo.

[retrocop]

Pre 1956

https://blog.privatefly.com/history-of-the-nato-phonetic-alphabet

[TonyV]

Retro these phonetics where used in WW2 and before, where you getting your information from?

[Jackdaw33]

Surely a case can be made for B for Brexit?

[TonyV]

Tilly2 think it's still on?

[retrocop]

TonyV
It was a demonstration to JD what I previously posted. I wrote that C for Charlie had survived the earliest phonetic alphabet to the present whereas most of the earlier phoneticswere changed post 1956 into the NATO alphabet. My information comes from the link I provided at 1525hrs

[TonyV]

Jackdaw don't think they will change phonetic alphabet but as soon mrs May steps down the better, and call a general election

[TonyV]

Oke doke retro