Allo aicha? / YES, THIS IS DOG
A Yes, this is dog! post.
The phone rings at 3 a.m. You answer with a voice like gravel, say "hello" to a stranger, and get "who is this?" in return. You hold the receiver for a long moment and tell them they've got the wrong number. The call centre asks how they can help. You've rehearsed this. You've been on hold for forty minutes. What comes out is a single, confused "yes". Your mum rings to ask whether you've eaten. You have, a bag of crisps over the sink, but the line is bad and the question gets lost somewhere between "hello" and "what?". You agree to everything. A number you don't recognise calls, and you answer in the voice of someone who has been woken from a nap by a ringing object. The other end asks for a name. You give the wrong one on purpose. **Why it caught on:** a grainy home video shows a black dog holding a corded phone to its mouth, with a human hand supporting the receiver and the dog looking thoroughly pleased with itself. Captioned "Yes, this is dog!", it became a ready-made answer for any phone call that goes wrong, and for any time you've replied with total confidence while understanding nothing.