49 replies to this topic

[darthbond]

Well, that is your grandma. I have always pronounced it as double-o seven.

darthbond

[JCRendle]

When I say my phone number I always say Oh for 0, and always said double-oh

[bond_girl_double07]

When I say my phone number I always say Oh for 0, and always said double-oh

Now I'm jealous of your schnazzy signature AND your phone number

[Hass]

It's funny,

I used to pronounce the zeros in my phone number as "oh" because that's just how you say it.

However I've changed because my thick Australian accent often makes "oh" sound like "eight" (don't ask me how) so I now say "zero" to avoid having to repeat myself.

Bond's code name is definitely three numbers - zero, zero and seven (not two letters and a number).

It is also definitely pronounced "double-oh seven" because that's how we do things in Britain and Australia.

Most people here would pronounce the year 1901 as "nineteen-oh-one" instead of "nineteen-hundred and one".

Cheers.

[RazorBlade]

I wish Ian Fleming would have given this info in an interview before he passed away. The Dr. John Dee story is interesting. I hope it's true.

[*Gala*]

Something regarding whether it is "double-oh-seven" or "double-zero-seven".

Perhaps it's just because I live in the international world, but I've come to notice that whenever exchanging street addresses, emails, phone numbers, etc. the British people I know say "oh" while the Americans say "zero" for the most part (there are always exceptions even though they are very rare). Considering that Bond is essentially British, I think that 007 is pretty much still a number, it's just the pronunciation that is "double-oh-seven" simply due to the context in which the character was created.

Personally, many have assumed me to be British just because I say "oh" for the 0 in my cell phone number, yet ironically I say "zero" in my email cuz there it would involve confusion with the letter "o". I still think it's a number... but darn that Fleming didn't give an interview on this before he passed away.

I like the "eyes only" bit of trivia and must say that it does bring to mind the title "For your eyes only" and it makes a fair load of sense as well. But if you consider agents and all, I bet that there's probably more than one correct reason for it, or far too trivial for us to figure out... maybe Fleming wanted to keep the mystery and purposely never revealed it to us for that very reason.

And regarding M, I think it's both the "mom" and the "C" theory there. Both ideas were combined. Then again, that just sorta fell in my mind cuz my brother and I codenamed our mom "M" last summer for operation "sneak chocolate out of the fridge". Makes it even less a coincidence when you consider that the current M is female, though Fleming obviously has no control over this.

[RazorBlade]

It's pronounced "double oh seven" in the movies. What was the question?

[JCRendle]

Now, to shake things up, what was Bond called when he was promoted to "7777" in You Only Live Twice? Quadruple seven? seven seven seven seven?

[Blofeld's Cat]

"Double seven, double seven"?

[Mathis05]

May we take into consideration the connotation of "0" or "oh"? 0 stands for nothing; it is empy, similar to the expression "oh." The letter "O" is empty in the middle, further implying nothingness, emptiness, and impracticality of its form. This represents Bond; his purpose is all in all cicuitous: he kills because he may be killed if he doesnt do his job, but hates it nonetheless. Any philosophical ideas here, gentlemen? (I'd go on w/ a paper, but this isn't the place to do it)

[K1Bond007]

Now, to shake things up, what was Bond called when he was promoted to "7777" in You Only Live Twice? Quadruple seven? seven seven seven seven?

I believe it's pronounced "Four-Sevens" or maybe "Four-Seven". I think it's noted in the book.

[Blofeld's Cat]

Now, to shake things up, what was Bond called when he was promoted to "7777" in You Only Live Twice? Quadruple seven? seven seven seven seven?

I believe it's pronounced "Four-Sevens" or maybe "Four-Seven". I think it's noted in the book.

Chapter 3 - The Impossible Mission.....

M. gave an abrupt nod. 'Good.' He leant forward and pressed a button on the intercom. 'Chief of Staff? What number have you allotted to 007? Right. He's coming to see you straight away.'
M. leant back. He gave one of his rare smiles. 'You're stuck with your old digit. All right, four sevens. Go along and get briefed.'

It's the only time it's mentioned in the book.

[RazorBlade]

Okay, here's a bit of news. On the MI 6 website (for James Bond not the Secret Intelligence Service) there is a letter in the mailbox section from Bob Parsons about where IF got "007" and I quote

'Now we come to where Bond's ID came from - and this is completely true. The young Fleming used to visit Higham Place and he travelled down on the coach from London which was route 007 - a route number that lasted into recent history being operated by National Express. A couple of years ago the route was re-numbered 020 and it is strange that the company does not continue to use that original association for "Bond Tourism" into East Kent.'

Hmmm, seems it didn't come from a Kipling story after all. Anyone have any other info? I would love to travel to the UK and travel on route 007 if only for the ticket stub! Anyone know where we can write National Express?

[doublenoughtspy]

Hmm, "Completely True" is stretching things.

Do I believe there was a bus route 007? Yes.

Did Ian Fleming travel on it? Maybe.

Did he base his literary creation's code number on it? Highly doubtfull.

We can point to various previous 007's from other times, circumstances, and things that crossed Fleming's path.

But wouldn't you think that the 00 designation put before classified material he read during the war would stick in his mind for a character in the intelligence world than would a bus route?

[bonded56]

For what it's worth: In the old BEVERLY HILLBILLIES show Jethro pretended to be a "double-naught spy" in a few episodes. Also, in counting 1 - 10, 7 is the only number with 2 syllables.

[RazorBlade]

Hmm, "Completely True" is stretching things.

Do I believe there was a bus route 007? Yes.

Did Ian Fleming travel on it? Maybe.

Did he base his literary creation's code number on it? Highly doubtfull.

We can point to various previous 007's from other times, circumstances, and things that crossed Fleming's path.

But wouldn't you think that the 00 designation put before classified material he read during the war would stick in his mind for a character in the intelligence world than would a bus route?

You make some good points. I think it is possible that several things converged together to make "007" the number. Maybe the most important piece of info we have is that IF didn't sit down and specifically tell us where he got the number. It tells us that he didn't think it important. And that's important.

[bill007]

Bond is double oh-seven. Two letters, then a number. It was a RBN designation in WWII for "Official Observation," which later evolved into "Eyes Only." Seven was then, and now, a lucky number, which Fleming favored.

Source: My wife's grandfather.

[ianfleming1]

As for the source of the double-O prefix: " I [Fleming] pinched the idea from the fact that, in the Admiralty, at the beginning of the War [World War II], all top secret signals had the double-O prefix.", quote from Ken Purdy's December 1963, 'Playboy' interview of Ian Fleming. Reference page 58, 'Ian Fleming's James Bond: Annotations and Chronologies for Ian Fleming's Bond Stories', 2006 edition

As for 007, the 00's are numeric. Fleming clearly states this in 'From Russia, With Love', Chapter 6 - Death Warrant'. Reference page 30, 'Ian Fleming's James Bond: Annotations and Chronologies for Ian Fleming's Bond Stories', 2006 edition

Edited by ianfleming1, 02 February 2007 - 12:38 PM.

[bill007]

Bond is double oh-seven. Two letters, then a number. It was a RBN designation in WWII for "Official Observation," which later evolved into "Eyes Only." Seven was then, and now, a lucky number, which Fleming favored.

Source: My wife's grandfather.

As for the source of the double-O prefix: " I [Fleming] pinched the idea from the fact that, in the Admiralty, at the beginning of the War [World War II], all top secret signals had the double-O prefix.", quote from Ken Purdy's December 1963, 'Playboy' interview of Ian Fleming. Reference page 58, 'Ian Fleming's James Bond: Annotations and Chronologies for Ian Fleming's Bond Stories', 2006 edition

As for 007, the 00's are numeric. Fleming clearly states this in 'From Russia, With Love', Chapter 6 - Death Warrant'. Reference page 30, 'Ian Fleming's James Bond: Annotations and Chronologies for Ian Fleming's Bond Stories', 2006 edition

Well, blast and drats!! Well done ianfleming1. Guess I'll have to give my wife's grandfather a right toungue-lashing next time I see him. But by then, I'd be able to ask Sir Fleming myself.

[Judo chop]

Some probably think he stole it from the Bourne movies.

Edited by Judo chop, 16 February 2007 - 02:08 PM.