There’s My Pumpkin!
(informal exclamation)

- an amusing term of affection, sometimes used as greeting, mostly for adults and children who you are close to, or occasionally from shopkeepers

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ORIGINS

The word “pumpkin” meaning “a gourd-like fruit” is from the 1640s, an alteration of pompone, pumpion “melon, pumpkin” (1540s), from French pompon, from Latin peponem “melon”, from Greek pepon “melon”. The Greek word probably originally meant “ripe”, on the notion of “cooked (by the sun)”, from peptein “to cook”.

The word “hello” is widely known as the English greeting that most people learn first. It first appeared in the early 1800s and was originally used to grab attention or express surprise.

The widespread usage of “hello” began with the invention of the telephone. Thomas Edison is credited with popularising it as a greeting when answering phone calls, as it was simpler and more efficient than alternatives such as “Do I get you?” and “Are you there?”. Alexander Graham Bell, who successfully commercialised the telephone, preferred to answer calls with “Ahoy"!

Prior to hello, the term “hail” was the greeting or salutation of choice and dates back to the Middle Ages and was still in use during Shakespeare’s time. He used it both as a greeting (“Hail to your grace”) and an acclamation (“Hail, Caesar!”). This word is related to others, such as “hale”, “health”, and “whole” that originally meant “health”.

As “hail” was sometimes shouted, it’s not surprising that variants such as “hollo”, “hallo”, and “halloa” still exist. One variant, “holler”, has since become a noun and verb.

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THE MANY SHADES OF "HELLO!”

Greeting others in text or speech, is a universal aspect of daily life across  generations and cultures. However, the manner in which we greet varies based on our relationship with our counterpart; we may hug and use nicknames with friends, while giving a simple “hello” to others. Many of the following may be both spoken or written:

1. YOUNGSTER SLANG

- Waddup Brah?
- Wats poppin Chica?
- YOOO! Slayers, Waddup?
- Hey There, Fresher!
- Yo Man! Where have you been?
- Hey Buddy! Wazzup?
- Hiya Babe, How ya holding up?
- Dude! Welcome to the hood man!

2. BRITISH TERMS OF ENDEARMENT

- Luv / Love
- Hun / Honey
- Sweetheart / Sweetie
- Dearie / My Dear
- Darlin’ / Darling
- Duck / Me Duck (Midlands)
- Me Lover (South West England)
- Babes (Essex)
- Boyo (Wales)
- Princess / Treasure / Beautiful (Cockney)

3. OLD-FASHIONED ENGLISH

- Welcome, how fare you lad?
- Hallo, how are you faring today?
- Hail be to thee good friend!
- Good Dawning My Lady!
- Good morrow, kind Sir/Madam!
- Hail, thou art a sight for sore eyes!
- Ahoy, my good mate!
- Yo ho ho, and a bottle of rum!

4. FOREIGN WORDS

It's often amusing when non-native speakers slip a foreign word or phrase unexpectedly into their English—usually involuntarily. But doing this deliberately can also be a lot of fun.

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SMUGGLE OWAD into an English conversation, say something like:

“In Britain, it may surprise you to hear terms of endearment used casually even among strangers – the man in the newsagent shop, the woman who works in the grocery store, or the bus or taxi driver taking you to the station – it doesn’t mean they’re in love with you, they’re just trying to be nice! 'THERE’S MY PUMPKIN!' is one of my favourites.”

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