Why We Say “Copy” When Using Person-to-Person Radio

Hey there, you have A Way with Words.

Hi, my name is Chris Dunn, and I’m calling from, East Coast Of Central Florida.

Okay.

So are you literally calling from the coast?

I am.

I’m literally I’m working right now.

I’m on a break, but I’m I’m working in my lifeguard station.

Oh, a lifeguard.

Wait.

You’re actually in a lifeguard station?

I’m in a I’m in a little lifeguard tower now next to my partner.

I’m imagining a a beefcake guy and red speedos just like on the TV shows.

Well, what about the Speedo?

That was this morning on my workout.

No.

Was kidding.

Gotcha.

All right.

Beefcake then.

What’s on your mind language wise, Chris?

I’ll take it.

Okay.

So the reason I’m calling is that it has to do with work, actually.

So we do all of our communications, most of our communications, you know, using radios.

And so we’ll talk from tower to tower or from tower to vehicle using our handheld radios or the radios in the truck.

And, you know, like, a a common radio call will go something like if I’m stationed in Tower 1, I’ll call Tower 2.

And so a real, like, a real common radio call would be, tower two.

This is tower one.

I’ll be down in a rip current rescue.

And then tower two would respond, tower two copy.

Got that?

Mhmm.

So it’s the, hey, you.

It’s me.

And then they’ll copy.

So what people I’ve noticed in the last few months, they’ll say, tower two copies.

And I don’t know.

It just sounds wrong to my ear, and I’ve been able to find nothing about this if that’s correct or not.

Copy versus copies.

It just sounds so wrong.

So it’s It’s somewhat like they’re using it as a plural.

You know what I’m saying?

Well, I think they’re using it as a conjugated verb.

Okay.

So they’re saying they’re leaving some words out, which is allowed in English and, you know, short circuited situations.

But they’re saying the tower copies.

This tower, tower two copies or whoever it is that we are currently copying what you’re saying.

But I think if I explain a little bit about the origin, it’ll make some sense to you because this comes from telegraph days, as a surprising number of things do, when you literally had to copy down the message that was being transferred to you over the wire.

That you would literally take a writing utensil and put it to paper to put the words down because it was coming in via Moore’s code, which is slow.

And there’s no way that you’re just going to remember the whole message in your head because, it just takes too long.

So you’re copying it down.

And basically, what you would say at the time was you would message back using the little key here and say, I have basically saying copy, meaning I did copy what you said, therefore we’re good.

You might say repeat, did not copy and ask him to say it again, you know, to text, to send it again.

Right.

Gotcha.

And so once, all this electronic communication went from just the dot dash and Morse code to voice, the language of, to say that you copied something just continued.

And then it expanded even further when radios kind of became standard configurations in military vehicles and morph time and among police.

And of course, as you know, with, any kind of EMT type service where you need radios for instant quick communication, person to person communication.

Right.

So copies is fine.

Yeah, it is.

It’s totally fine.

And, and I think it kind of throws back to the early days where you’re literally saying, you know, tower two copies means, yeah, we we did.

We more or less wrote that down.

If we didn’t, we we might as well.

Right.

So they’re using it as a as a verb essentially.

Yeah.

Exactly.

Copy.

Mhmm.

Gotcha.

Gotcha.

Okay.

Well, thanks for clearing that out.

Yeah.

I couldn’t find anything else.

So figured I’d call the experts.

Yeah.

Yep.

We’ll we’ll co, as they say.

We will comply if you call.

I’m impressed that you’re thinking about grammar while you’re sitting there watching the waves.

Yeah.

That’s really cool.

Well, you know, it’s the radio or, you know, whatever else podcast.

Dolphins They come entertain.

No, there’s a lot of them around.

Yeah.

Also dolphins in Florida.

All right.

Thank you, sir.

Take care of yourself.

Be safe out there.

Right?

Yes.

Okay.

Bye.

Bye, Chris.

Bye bye.

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