How do you, or want to answer your phone?

@AmbiePam (85489)
United States
October 14, 2008 12:38pm CST
A long time ago when the movie was first released to rent, I saw Honey I Shrunk the Kids. At the beginning the teenage daughter answered her home phone (on the other end was her mom) like this, "House of insanity." From then on I really wanted to answer our house phone like that! It was before the days of caller ID, so I didn't because who knows who it would be on the other end, and if they could take a joke... How do you answer the phone, and how would you prefer to answer the phone?
6 people like this
22 responses
• United States
15 Oct 08
My husband likes to answer the phone "Helga's House of Pain, how may I hurt you?" It's funny because people we know will always laugh and think it's funny, but if it's someone we don't know they usually just hang up. Now my brother in law answers the phone "Road House Grill, you kill it, we grill it", and my dad answers the phone "Joe's Bar and Grill Joe speaking". I'm the boring one who answers the phone normally, but usually I would like to answer by yelling "what do you want!?"
2 people like this
@AmbiePam (85489)
• United States
15 Oct 08
I like it!
• China
29 Jan 09
That's really funny,if I have that chance I will answer my phone with "House of insanity"haha .. Actuallly here the short message is more popular in my age ,we text short messages more often than calling each other through the phone . When I am at home I will answer the phone more frenquently but I never think of answering that way as I can't identify clearly who is on the other end of the phone ..haha ,if some time I will know beforehand who will calling me and that person is one of my fimilar friends I will think of answering in some funny way ..haha .sound so interesting ..haha ,nayway molly will have a try~~~~
2 people like this
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
15 Oct 08
lol, maybe i should try that!! we have caller id so it just depends on who is calling. if it is someone close, i usually just say 'hey' but if it is someone regarding business, of course i would say hello.
2 people like this
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
15 Oct 08
The former roommate used to answer the phone at the place she was living with "Georgia's cat house." Until the day it was Georgia's mom! another time we had the answering machine saying some crazy thing, but I can't remember what it was no.
2 people like this
@guybrush (4658)
• Australia
15 Oct 08
I actually DON'T answer the phone. I usually look to see whether the number belongs to one of my family - but if it says 'Private' or 'Unavailable', I know it will be someone wanting to sell me something, so I don't answer it. I can't stand talking on the phone, and will only use it if it's absolutely urgent.
2 people like this
@GemmaR (8517)
15 Oct 08
I don't like doing things like that incase it's someone official and I would get me or a member of my family in trouble for it. I just say hi how are you. I answer my mobile differently to how I answer my house phone, as I can tell who is calling on that so I can choose how I would like to speak to them.
2 people like this
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
27 Jan 09
Hey that seems a great way to answer the phone since I feel that my house is the house of insanity at times..lol We have answered the phone and responded with Painstville city Morgue how may we be of help to you today? or Paintsville city morgue please press one if you need to identify a body,press 2 if you need one picked up,press 3 if you need assistance. We never did that on no one but family or friends though..thank goodness for caller ID.
1 person likes this
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
27 Jan 09
Nowadays though..we just answer with a hello or a yeah..
1 person likes this
@stephcjh (38473)
• United States
15 Oct 08
I answer the phone with a normal Hello LOL. My husband likes to answer the phone like this sometimes if he knows who is calling. He says, Joe's pool Hall, eight ball speaking.
2 people like this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
15 Oct 08
I just say 'hello' LOL My mum use to say "Police Station" or "The Zoo" when our friends called LOL they would hang up right away and call again lol
1 person likes this
@twoey68 (13627)
• United States
14 Oct 08
For a long time I actually did answer the phone with "City Morgue, You Stab 'Em, We Slab 'Em"...I know, I know...gruesome but hey, I was a kid at the time. [b]~~IN SEARCH OF PEACE WITHIN~~ **AGAINST THE STORMS, I WILL STAND STRONG** [/b]
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (85489)
• United States
15 Oct 08
That's perfect! Morbid, but perfect!
@twoey68 (13627)
• United States
15 Oct 08
My Mom and I both love one of my brothers cell phone message. You call his cell phone and it rings 2-3 times and then picks up. You hear him say "Hello?", so you start talking...then you hear "Hello?"...now you think the signal is dropped and you keep repeating "Can you hear me?"...then "Hello?" and he sounds really fed up...your trying to get him to hear you only to hear him say something like..."Oh, I'm not here right now but I can call you back later if you leave your name and number." The first time my Mom heard it she laughed her butt off and she still fell for it 3-4 more times. She also told me about it. So about a week ago, I called him for something and I thought I'm not falling for it. So, it rings 2-3 times and I hear "Hello?"...and I just keep quiet waiting for the joke to get over with? After a second or two I hear "Is anybody there"...I start laughing b/c I knew it wasn't part of the message and he'd really answered the phone. [b]~~IN SEARCH OF PEACE WITHIN~~ **AGAINST THE STORMS, I WILL STAND STRONG**[/b]
1 person likes this
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
15 Oct 08
I do not have a land line phone in my apartment but when i was still living in my mother's house... we just answer the phone with a simple hello... we never thought of answering it in any other way... but i like the idea of having a signature phone answer... sounds fun...
@Jenaisle (14078)
• Philippines
30 Jan 09
Formally, like "Hello Good morning, ___Office, this is jenaisle speaking, how may I help you?" lol...I have read once that when you speak on the phone you should smile even if the other person on the line cannot see you, because this would be reflected in your tone of voice,and how true...so smile while you talk on the phone, you'll never know who would be at the other end of the line. Cheers and happy mylotting.
1 person likes this
• United States
15 Oct 08
My late husband used to answer, "Mike's morgue; you stab 'em, we slab 'em." Then my mother called one day and after she got done with him, he didn't answer like that any more. That was before caller id too.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (85489)
• United States
15 Oct 08
I wish I had thought of something like that....
• United States
14 Oct 08
Haha, that's a cute one. I always check the caller id first, but if it's someone I know well enough I'll say something ridiculous. Like from Elf when he answers the phone "Buddy the elf, what's your favorite cookie?" or I'll say "Bueno bueno jalepeno" for my closest friends.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (85489)
• United States
15 Oct 08
I really like the second one. I'll have to remember to use that sometime.
@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
14 Oct 08
LOL house of insanity would really fit our home sometimes :) I usually answer with the regular "hello". Sometimes when someone - usually one of the kids or their friends - call several times in a row I answer with " Phone directory how may I redirect your call". They know it's me, of course, but it's a joke and both the kids or their friends know that I do that sometimes if they call too many times in a row.
@munhozmib (3837)
• Sao Paulo, Brazil
14 Oct 08
Hello, AmbiePam! I have heard about this movie already, but hadn't watch it. It must be pretty fun to answer the phone just like that, mustn't it? I'd like to be able to answer my home phone with some kind of joke like that. Who knows if I make a seductive and romatic male voice, those really strong voices... Well, it would really be fun if it was a woman calling. "Hello, my darling." loL Respectfully, Munhozmib.
1 person likes this
@thuhuong (823)
• United States
15 Oct 08
Since I carry a cell phone, I only my contacts in my phone book. I know if there's a strange number I don't pick up however, if I accidentally do, I'll act like I don't know english. 'Sorry, me a no speak a englis' Then the person usually hangs up and I do too. It works because well you don't have to say anything further. :)
@ellie333 (21016)
14 Oct 08
Hi AmbiePam, I usually just answer with hello, but in the past when things have been really hectic I have answered say hot line, or mad house, if it was a coldcaller no worries and if not it would be my mates who would laugh anyway and say oh you are having one of those days and I would reply yep, phone hasn't stopped, door bell ringing etc. etc...... Huggles. Ellie :D
1 person likes this
@my2boys (821)
• United States
15 Oct 08
I just say hello when i answer the phone. My dad always says something weird when answering his phone. He will say something like "Joe's pizzeria" (his name is joey). When i was younger and used to live with him he would answer the phone "Kim's answering service" because the phone was almost always for me. He syas something else that is really funny but i am not sure exactly how it goes and dont want to mess it up.
@mgeise (51)
• United States
14 Oct 08
I usually just answer "Hey" or "Yo" or "What's Up" or something like that. Once in awhile I'll answer with something ridiculous, especially if I know who is calling on the other line. However, I'm usually pretty normal when I answer the phone even when I know who it is.
1 person likes this