Researchers have based their finding on a survey of 2,000 phone users in Britain -- a third of young people aged 18 to 24 admitted to answering their cellphones with greetings such as "hi", "yo" or "what's up" instead of "hello".

According to the researchers, the greeting "hello" has been around nearly as long as the telephone itself.

When Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876 he answered it with the greeting "Ahoy-hoy" that was used as a greeting on ship radios at the time. However, American inventor Thomas Alva Edison did not like the maritime term and invented "hello" which was recorded in the dictionary in 1883.

But, nearly a third of the respondents, including adults, said their phone answering habits had become less formal and more casual over the past decade, with only one in 20 adopting a more formal phone answering style.

Many of those who use a less formal greeting said it was due to the increase in ways they can communicate, with text messages, mobile phones and emails, British newspaper 'The Daily Telegraph' reported.

The survey also found that nearly seven per cent of British adults admitted to screening all their landline calls with either a voicemail or answerphone, rather than picking up the receiver, the survey found.

Scottish people are most likely to greet callers by name when answering their mobile phone, with 28 per cent checking who is calling them in order to personalise their greeting, it revealed.

Stewart Fox-Mills, the Head of Telephony at the Post Office, which commissioned the survey, said: "It's fascinating to see how the public's relationship with the telephone has changed and how despite range of communication technologies available, it still has such a pivotal role."

The survey, conducted by online recruiters TheLadders.co.uk showed that sometimes what you think are innocent antics can actually offend your colleagues.

The next bugbear on Technology/IT Managers lists was bad hygiene – smelly breath and dirty clothes (95%). Just behind was ‘bad habits’ such as flossing your teeth with a paperclip (89%) and picking your nose.

Other annoyances that scored highly were: not offering to share office chores (83%), wastefulness (82%) and loud talking (80%).

Eating smelly food in the office (78%), bad language (75%) and drinking at lunchtime (64%) were deemed slightly less offensive.

74% of IT/Technology Managers polled said that they had worked alongside a person who offended colleagues with a complete lack of respect.

Shirley Benney, CEO of Ipsos Markinor, a market research company that predominantly employs women, said the day offered them the opportunity to welcome young women into their business.

She said it was important to show school-leavers the opportunities available to them as many did not comprehend the variety of careers they could choose from.

At Markinor, the schoolgirls will see how research executives deal with clients, work on proposals or capture data in the field, she said.

Benney believed that Take a Girl Child to Work Day can be developed further if more companies become involved. She added that getting more detailed feedback from the schoolgirls would allow one to improve their Work Day experience.

Deloitte Consulting has been part of Take a Girl Child to Work Day since 2003 and hopes to continue to make a positive contribution to the initiative, said human resources manager Sally Downie.

However, she said Deloitte had been researching the needs of female learners well before 2003, determining what challenges they faced, especially if they were from disadvantaged backgrounds.

THE TABLE

Italian service is generally more accommodating than that of, say, the French. Ask and you'll probably receive along with, perhaps, a few Italian jokes at your expense. Restaurateur Giorgio Locatelli, who grew up in Italy and runs the acclaimed Locanda Locatelli, in London, says that his son became notorious in their town for eating lard when he was six. "Now he's nineteen, and they say, 'How's your son? Is he still eating lard?' " Here, a few simple rules for not becoming the butt of a lifelong joke.

Don't season anything bread, pasta, an entrée without first trying it. You'll lose respect as a discerning diner.

Sometimes you'll get bread with a little diced tomato or olive oil to start your meal. Consider it an extra. They do; in fact, they'll include it in a general cover charge, or il coperto, which includes water and amuse-bouches. You'll be tipping much less than in the States (ten percent if you really love the service), so think of this as a sort of semi-service charge.

Mrs O will whip the ladies of America into shape.

Sharon Osbourne is to take over as host on a reality TV show that teaches potential rock star dates into well-mannered ladies. As host of 'Charm School', Sharon will take the ladies not picked by Bret Michaels on VH1's 'Rock Of Love' series and will attempt to teach them to correct their mistakes in trying to bag themselves a rock star. Apparantly, Sharon will teach the ladies to "learn and grow in areas of etiquette, fashion, manners, and moderation" as well as trying to "attempt to strip the girls of their former rebellious and wild ways." The show will feature 14 unlucky ladies and the winning girl will take home a cash prize of $100,000 and the show will premier in the autumn.

Making passes at the host’s significant other.

Setting table centerpieces on fire.

Hiding food from the party in your purse particularly food from a party to which you weren’t invited.

These are social faux pas I’ve witnessed with my own blue-green, gold-flecked, bloodshot eyes. OK, so maybe I did commit one myself I just have this thing for striking matches and watching cellophane wilt by flame.

Sigh … We didn’t start the fire, indeed, Billy Joel.

Anyway, as summer approaches and people’s shindig schedules are starting to simmer, I thought it a good idea to throw out some goodbehavior guidelines that may keep you from being barred from future fetes unless, of course, that’s your antisocial agenda. In which case, more power to you.

But along with that nonchalant attitude comes a case of mobile faux pas 18 percent also admitted to being reprimanded for having bad manners.

Tom Musbach, managing editor of Yahoo! HotJobs, said the more relaxed attitudes about handheld devices has made improper wireless etiquette as commonplace as bad table manners. “These devices have become like leeches,” Musbach said. “People get into the habit of answering e-mails or calls instantaneously, but it may be a good idea to curb that and only answer when absolutely necessary. We’re seeing more and more major lapses in decorum. The worst habits are talking loudly on a bus or train, or connecting with someone while in the bathroom.”

Those talking on-the-go often try to skip small talk, without letting the person on the other end of the line know it’s because they aren’t in an office setting. Usually, they are misinterpreted as just plain rude, Musbach said.

“You don’t think about it because you’re mobile, but you have to let your colleague or client know where you are and what you’re doing so that they understand why you can’t chat about the weekend or how the kids are,” he said. ap

Want to know just how bad it's gotten up there? Two words: Knee Defender.

The devious pocket-size gadget, available on the Internet, locks onto your lowered tray table so the passenger in front of you cannot recline in flight.

Oh, dear. Remember when flying was fun? Christopher Elliott does. He took his first flight in 1969, from New York to Munich, Germany, with his well-traveled parents. A mere tot, he relived the adventure through photographs that we'd now have to see to believe: Travelers dressed in suits and their finest dresses, meals served on china, abundant legroom.

Today, Elliott is a syndicated travel writer who flies as little as possible.
"The thrill is gone," he says. And the shrill is growing. Who can blame us? Canceled flights and mergers. Endless security lines, cattle-call waiting areas, mishandled or lost bags, sardine seating, passengers bumped at the last minute.

When to send a thank you note Thank you notes are warranted in the following work-related situations:

To the host/hostess after a dinner invitation When you receive gifts via courier or mail To the boss, after being entertained by him or her or after a promotion When you receive congratulatory notes When you receive referrals or recommendations for your business To a colleague, for any special help To volunteers for help for a project (charity, sports or networking event, industry forums) After a hospital stay, for sympathy letters or gifts or flowers

What’s the appropriate time between receiving a gift and sending a thank you note?

Ideally, write a note of thanks within 48 hours, but up to a week is permissible. Having said that, it is never too late even if a lot of time has lapsed, write one and apologise for the delay.

Q: Is it business all the time, or is it appropriate to talk about your social life at work? If so, how far do you go with your conversations?

A: With rumors of recession filling the air, every employee should be thinking about building his or her professional network, and that means building personal relationships with peers and managers alike. Connecting socially is part and parcel of building relationships. So go ahead and connect with others at work. While you connect, avoid sharing details of your personal life. Some topics to avoid bringing up at work include: health issues; your sex life; relationship problems; personal finances; gossip about co-workers; and last night's beer bash. Also, never forget, what you choose not to say will communicate loads about you.