I’ve heard it explained that “hey” used to be more of an urgent way to get someone’s attention, rather than a casual “hello” like it is now, so it sounded rude to some older folks.
I’ve heard it explained that “hey” used to be more of an urgent way to get someone’s attention, rather than a casual “hello” like it is now, so it sounded rude to some older folks.
They’re idiomatic phrases people are supposed to say by custom, divorced from their literal meanings.
Which is fine if you’re just chatting amongst your friends. Unfortunately, that’s not what this is about.