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Why did people stop saying "over" when telephones replaced radio?

HP35

I have a lot of trouble with phone calls. I find that figuring out when it's my turn to speak (in the absence of visual cues such as the other person opening or closing their mouth) takes so much concentration that when I end the call I realise I haven't taken in any information or have failed to provide information that was the whole point of the call. If I take notes then I forget to speak when it's my turn because I'm writing, and then the other person starts talking again trying to figure out what's wrong with the line.

Sometimes I wonder if both people using a word to indicate "I have finished speaking, please respond" would help. I think people used to say "over" for this purpose when communicating via radio? Why did they stop in favour of a free for all where everyone ends up speaking over each other? Is this something I could ask an NT to do during a phone call or would it just confuse them?

Parents

  • Saying over would make phone calls so much easier. My wife is on holiday at the moment with my mother. My wife rang this morning and it’s my usual conversation of me saying sorry all the time as I talk when I’m apparently not supposed to. How do NT people know when it’s their turn to talk? I hardly ever use phones as it’s just too hard to figure out the rules.

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  • Saying over would make phone calls so much easier. My wife is on holiday at the moment with my mother. My wife rang this morning and it’s my usual conversation of me saying sorry all the time as I talk when I’m apparently not supposed to. How do NT people know when it’s their turn to talk? I hardly ever use phones as it’s just too hard to figure out the rules.

Children
  • in reply to Roy

    I don't think I struggle with when to talk. Maybe I just interrupt people without realising it, but I think there are pauses when someone has finished what they want to say. If the pause goes on too long they might try and fill it, wondering why there was no reply. I suppose sometimes a pause might not mean they have finished but then they can just interrupt back and say they hadn't finished! I find it easier on the phone than in a group, it is so hard to track turn taking in a group, especially if there are two chatty people in it.

    This is not to suggest I find phone calls easy, but I don't mind them to people I know well, just some official calls are so stressful if I can't predict the kind of thing they might say. I script ahead of time on these so much. But it's not the turn taking, just the content. Or if I can't hear them clearly, weirdly I get so embarrassed if I have to ask for a repeat of what they said, especially if it's because they have an accent.