Hash

My first exposure to the word "hash" was in a the context of foods--either describing a pile of potatoes that are browned in a frying pan, or a mashed, pasty mixture of corned beef, which I run away from. My next exposure to the word was in mathematics, as one makes a hash mark on a line on an axis or to denote a unit when counting. Then I learned of hash being a plant one smokes, appearing right along with the words marijuana and hemp. Then I found the word in the cryptographic setting, as one uses a hash function to convert a long string into a (shorter) fixed-length string. Then the word appeared when I was checking into running groups in Dublin and found the Hash Harriers, who go for runs and end a pub for a drink. But my most recent encounter with the word was when I was trying to set up my voicemail on the mobile phone I finally acquired.

The instructions were to enter your pin number, followed by the hash key. What's a hash key? I stared at my phone for awhile, and was prompted again, so I pressed the * button. This didn't work. So I pressed the -- button, as that looks like a hash mark to me. No good. So I continued pressing buttons, trying all my options, but this just made things worse. I got on the phone company's website to find help, but their instructions simply say to press the hash key, with no explanation of what it is. After a bit of research, I discovered...the "hash" key is the # key, otherwise known to an American as the "pound" key!