A listener in Omaha, Nebraska, says his mother always ends a phone conversation not with Goodbye, but mmm-bye. How common is that? This is part of a complete episode.
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The discussion of mmm-bye was a delight. A year ago, my South African friend asked me why Americans insist on saying “buh-bye” and “mmm-bye.” Before she asked, I had never consciously heard mmm-bye before. Now I seem to hear it all the time! Anyway, ever since she and I talked about mmm-bye last year, we simply end the calls between us with “mmm.”