—used especially to call attention or to express interrogation, surprise, or exultation
Hey, Tigs, the '80s are over, man. Time to lose that orange Mohawk. — The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)"Hey Rob," growls Russ [Winfield, designer], picking a potato off the back seat. "What are these doing back here?" Katherine SilbergerGlenn Miller … said he was forming a band and asked if I was interested in joining. I thought, "Hey, this may not be bad. …" Tex Beneke
2
—used as an informal greeting
Hey, how's it going?"Hey, professor," a man in a worn overcoat says to Wilson, extending a calloused hand … "Hey, man," Wilson says, meeting his grip. Samuel G. Freedman
3
—used to indicate that one is not bothered or troubled by something
At his worst, he is corny and silly, but hey, the pleasure he gives is worth the price. Gretchen GarnerMy way [of kneading] is to press the heel of my hand down into the dough, push it away and then bring it back down against the work surface. You can do it with one hand or two. (I've noticed that some like to follow this up by just throwing the dough, with force and from about chest or shoulder height, down onto the work surface. Hey, whatever works for you.) Nigella Lawson
Recent Examples on the WebAnd hey, in terms of staying on top of voters' minds, Goldstein's Thor cameo may not have necessarily hurt. Brendan Morrow, The Week, 9 Sep. 2022 And, hey, traffic jam after the final gun would be a good sign here. Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 9 Sep. 2022 But, hey, at least there are still plenty of golfers willing to cash massive Saudi checks and look the other way on such matters. Paul Newberry, ajc, 19 Aug. 2022 The Atlantic’s Mark Leibovich argued that Biden was doing a fine enough job for now but would simply be too old to run in 2024—which, hey, fair enough. Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 12 Aug. 2022 Our staff was like hey why not do a watermelon patch candy inspired beer. Blaine Callahan, Hartford Courant, 12 Aug. 2022 Swap out bitter lettuces for milder ones, use a variety of fruits instead of just one kind, go wild with the herbs or banish them (hey, cilantro!).New York Times, 20 July 2022 Now is the perfect time to plan that last-minute getaway (hey, treat yourself!). Annie O’sullivan, Good Housekeeping, 3 Aug. 2022 But hey, it’s August, and who needs another screed?BostonGlobe.com, 3 Aug. 2022 See More