Raen  +  631860 Tue, 06 Jan 09 12:53 AM Could somebody explain this phrase for me? I know what it's intended for, but I can't associate each word of the phrase with its meaning? Thanks in advance. Raen    Raen Joined on Thu, May 1 2008 Full Member 354

	Yankee  +  631872 Tue, 06 Jan 09 01:07 AM Hi Raen Without any context, I would understand that to possibly be a sort of "shorthand" note that someone intends or is promising to call (telephone) someone else. Yankee Joined on Sat, Apr 15 2006 Connecticut, USA Veteran Member 6,502 Amy "You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." - Mark Twain Context

	Raen  +  631889 Tue, 06 Jan 09 01:26 AM I sounded absurd without furthur context, didn't I? Sorry about that. I see all the time the sign that says "Will Call" on a desk or on the window of a booth to a play, show, concert, musical etc.....for people that have reservation but without the physical tickets to sign in or pick up the tickets. Or am I mistaken?  Raen Raen Context, Apologies

	Grammar Geek  +  631913 Tue, 06 Jan 09 02:13 AM  That's exactly what it's for. You call and purchase them over the phone, but too close to the performance for them to mail them to you, so you pick them up at the "will call" window.  I don't know why it's called that - since it's "Have called." Grammar Geek Joined on Tue, Jan 10 2006 Veteran Member 19,683 Barbara, who answers in American English. My housekeeping skills attest to the truth of the second law of thermodynamics: Left to themselves, things get more and more random!

	Raen  +  631937 Tue, 06 Jan 09 02:44 AM Thank you GG. I have always wondered why "Will", and/or "Call" for that matter. Together they just don't make sense to me. Like you said, since the act of calling to purchase have been done, why not "Haved Called", but even that doesn't garuantee clarity. I thought maybe in the beginning of this practice, they put up a "Will Call" sign at the event for they would call out people who had purchased tickets over the phone to come forward for their tickets, only later on people had learned the drill and automatically gone to the designated spot to collect their tickets..I don't know. Amazing how our minds work to figure out the answer to a peculiar mistery. Does anyone have any other ideas? Raen Raen

	CalifJim  +  632030 Tue, 06 Jan 09 04:42 AM www.m-w.com call, intransitive:  ( 2 )  to make a brief visit ... <called on a friend> I will call at the box office to pick up my tickets. CJ CalifJim Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004 California Veteran Member 22,447 "There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche Relationships, Friendships, Friends

	khoff  +  632044 Tue, 06 Jan 09 04:53 AM As usual, I agree with CJ but am not as fast. khoff Joined on Sun, Mar 6 2005 Senior Member 3,276 Native speaker of American English (but not a grammar expert)

	Raen  +  635175 Thu, 08 Jan 09 06:46 PM Thank CJ, seeing the word "call" used to mean "a visit" makes a whole lot of sense now. I was caught in the sense the "calling on the phone". As always, thanks a lot.   Raen Raen