"N2EY" wrote


Corrupting it in the process. "Handle" used to simply mean "name", and
it
wasn't even strictly a piece of ham jargon. cb folks changed its
meaning to "a
made-up name to avoid using call letters or other means of positive
identification".


Whatever! 60 years ago Clinton DeSoto wrote:

"Among radio amateurs there is a genuine brotherhood and informal
camaraderie. Everyone is called by his "handle" -- his first name
or nickname. The president of the Chicago Stock Exchange and the
mechanic in a Birmingham garage are just "Paul" and "Joe" when
they meet on the air."

I guess I'll continue to use the term 'handle" --- seems to have good
roots.



Why not just use plain English?


Because the use of abbreviations and operating signals which permeated
our hobby in it's early years on Morse are carried forward as part of
the fraternity. Q signals, etc, are part of the adopted lingo of our
hobby. We all understand what they mean, and they tend to identify us as
part of the 'cognosenti'.

Many vocations and avocations have a "lingo" which, while it may strike
outsiders (and uptight insiders) as "quaint" or "affected". Auto racers
say "skins" instead of "tires", bikers talk about "Hogs", not Harley
Davidsons, old time technicians say "mickey-mikes" instead of "pico
farads", sailors say "fart sack" instead of "matress cover", and some
hams say "QSL" instead of "yes". I say, who cares.... my grammar
teacher isn't a ham, so she won't catch me, and a Russian, American, or
Brazilian ham will all understand "Thanks for the QSO" but they might
wonder WTF if I closed with "I appreciate the delightful conversation".

73 OM, de Hans, K0HB
didididah didaaaaah