It's a hash, not a hashtag. The hashtag is the # plus a "tag" word. When someone says "hashtag foo", they went spelling it out # + foo, they are saying "this

It's a hash, not a hashtag. The hashtag is the # plus a "tag" word. When someone says "hashtag foo", they went spelling it out # + foo, they are saying "this is a hashtag, not a regular word in my setencen; the tag is foo" and the # is silent. #prescriptivism.