Warning, completeeeeely Off topic here :-)

Hi friends,

Can you guys please tell me what you think of these greetings and whats appropriate for whom?
say four things:

Hello

Hi

Hiya

hi there


Now which one would you use for say parents, friends, employers, supervisors, colleagues etc?

Depends on rapport I know, but am more generally intrigued by Hiya and hi there... i mean are these way too formal for colleagues, supervisors, employers? or is hi the middle ground....:$

I don't know that you'll get a definitive answer to this... I use 'Hey' for everyone (parents, friends, employers, supervisors, colleagues etc.). For some friends/family, I use 'alright?' instead (but obv. that's only in real life/on the phone, not for text/email).

I say 'hello' in formal situations (eg an interview), but 'hi' in any other situation or increasingly 'hey' (picked up from close N.American friends).
I never say 'hiya', but I would regard it as more informal than 'hi'.
I tend to say 'hello there'/'hi there' when on the phone.

I say hiya from time to time, but usually without thinking--I think it's quite childish. I use "Hi" with almost everyone I know, including formal situations, but am more careful with using "Hi" in emails. I never use "hi there", apart from when I'm on the phone.

Hi Bug

V brief as in the middle of children etc. 

Hello - acceptable in any situation, but more acceptable if acknowledging a bit of respect (person of age, standing etc), always use on a more professional level
Hi - more acceptable with youth and or someone more familiar to you
Hiya - slang - sorry this word is not in my vocab
Hi there - I tend to use this more in emails to friends, its quite friendly and relaxed and would also use with friends

I suppose it depends on your background, schooling and parenting as to what would be acceptable and with whom. Personally although I recognise a little courtesy and respect when I speak to others, I dont mind how others acknowledge me as long as the tone is friendly x

I use hi, hiya and hi there to a lot of people.. I guess I don't really think about which to say beforehand! I hope nobody has taken this as rude, I didn't really think people would care about it or remember which form of greeting you used when meeting them.

Hi Bug,

I agree with the posters so far, but will add that hiya is a Liverpool greeting, used with just about everyone - we don't say any of the others when on home turf, or speaking to eachother. I use it, in person, with everyone I have a relationship which is beyond the very formal - bosses, friends, family, colleagues; but I wouldn't use it for a work email - to me it is a relaxed, friendly term which implies that I am being myself. God knows what other people think of it, but it is a particularly Scouse (the word for Liverpudlians and their culture) greeting. You should use it when you have your friends round to enjoy the Scouse recipe I posted...

I use all of those in 'real life', though not so much hiya, plus 'morning' as well (short for good morning, assuming it is before noon, of course). I think I say them in different ways as well, so that plus the actual greeting used depends on the level of familiarity, I suppose. I would say any of them to my mum or people I know well or regular colleagues at work, but would probably not use hi for the head of college or the postman... probably hello or morning for them.

I use 'dear' so and so in emails for formal greetings, or hi or hello for those I already know - eg supervisors, managers, colleagues. I would use 'dear' for emailing the head of another dept or anyone I don't know very well, then go with whatever they use to greet me with in reply - if they use 'hi' back, then I think it's ok to be less formal after a couple of emails. Sometimes I use 'hello' when someone's being annoying instead of 'hi', though I don't know why. Maybe 'hello' looks a bit more lugubrious in an email than hi, so it comes back to the way you say it again in real life.

I'll probably think about this tomorrow now and monitor my greetings all day! :-)

Gosh, and I expected this query to be buried away for noone would be interested! :-)

Hmm, I guess I only use Hi... I use Hiya when I am in a real friendly mood or feeling really good..

I use Dear for formal situations, OR, with people who I know/trust really well and I am miffed with! They know when I write wieth dear and worse, sign off with 'regards' that I am super miffed !!

I just wanted to see who thinks what of Hiya especially, 'cos I use it a lot!

Hiya ;-) Eska!

This reminded me, I have shifted to a smaller room (coop/cage) now in another hall of residence (thats all I can afford) and the kitchen is shared with tons of folk...

:-(

Am skipping most meals, and cant buy readymade so it's a horrendous situation!! And I feel hungry almost all the time...

Scouse sounded so good but would need lots of things, if you had a version that's simpler, involved less things, feel verrrry free to PM or post!

Bug

Hiya Bug, There is no short cut, I'm afraid; but I think it's pretty simple anyhow - it doesn't take long to throw into the pan. You ought to eat properly, or you'll burn out - you must be a right skinny milinsk. I have an image of you, rake thin, slaving over a laptop in a tiny room with bars on the windows, and no life - food makes the engines go around you know!

Thanks E :-)

Hmm i fished out the recipe you gave and it does look simple enough...

Hehe, no I am not skinny, I am what you'd call just right (somehow)!! But the rest is correct, slaving over laptop, room, no bars but window looks onto the back of a building where some contractors are repairing leaky pipes... wonderful feeling! They even have drills running yeah yeah!!

:-)

======= Date Modified 29 Sep 2009 10:49:36 =======
I have to agree with Ruby. I tend to go for the formal "Dear" if it is an initial email enquiry then follow on with the same greeting they have used in their reply.



I use pretty much most of the greetings mentioned when speaking face to face with a person. I think it depends on the situation, the person and my mood.

Gosh dont know how to start my intro now, I'm having to think about it...  Hello/Hi/Hi there (no just cant manage hiya I'm afraid) Interesting though I didnt realise its from Liverpool, its certainly caught on.  Bug, have you tried those Innocent pots from Sainsburys or Tescos, in the fridge section, really healthy, enough for one meal, only need to microwave it, a few varieties, thai, mexican etc, packed with vegs, pulses, rice etc. Do you have a microwave?  Tinned soups are always a good option, not expensive - probably packed with salt, but hey cant worry about every little thing. When I was single and in London studying, no money, I used to grate some carrots, grate some cheese, add a tin of sweetcorn and microwave, it was really tasty then finish off with a bar of chocolate.  Oh the bliss of simple food, now I have to cook for everyone, all the time - oh well 8-)

How about: All right? and How you doing?