In article . net, "KØHB"
writes:

"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!

The meaning of words does change over time. Consider what the word "gay" used
to mean as an adjective, and what it means now.

Not that there's anything wrong with that!

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."

Sure - back before the meaning of "handle" changed. btw, it may have been a bit
longer than 60 years ago...

In those days, "handle" = "name". The above paragraph simply meant that hams
didn't (and still don't) call each other by last names or titles. Which is
definitely a Good Thing.

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

No problem! I'll continue to use "name".

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.

You mean....because it's a tradition?

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'.

Good points all.

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,

Did you know that Johnson Motors is reported to be going into the motorcycle
business, making large road touring bikes in direct competition with Harley?

old time technicians say "mickey-mikes" instead of "pico
farads",

Or "puffs"

sailors say "fart sack" instead of "matress cover", and some
hams say "QSL" instead of "yes".

Roger that!

For me, the question is whether a jargon term exists to express a specific
concept that does not exist in plain English or to save syllables, or whether
it's there just to sound different.

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".

R R TU

In my field of work, the jargon can get to the point that ordinary people
cannot follow the conversation, yet all the jargon terms exist because the
equivalent plain English expressions are much longer and more complicated.
That's true for a lot of ham slang ("shack", "rig", "QSL card", "73") but not
for all.

In any event, an on-air lecture isn't the way to stop it.

73 de Jim, N2EY