You’re right BusyB, but the “The” controversy is sort of amusing. The unofficial prefix has been around for more than a while. “The” Clipper and “The” Empress were sort of classy callsigns I thought, and nobody seemed to get too shirty about it thirty plus years ago, before I ever heard a BOAC type (or successor) use it.
I think some folks on this thread have far too much time on their hands.
Sloppy detail on the compulsory elements causes communication problems, and if the ATS unit concerned is fluent in the language used (usually English - mixed languages are an accident waiting to happen, my regards to ICAO), the greetings may help keep them interested and avoid the errors that tend to come with too much mechanical repetition.
When things are hectic, most folks stick to the salient details.
The entertainment value of THE topic is starting to fade, like the rest, into name-calling and tantrum mode, with a bit of a religious smear.
Ciao. Auf Wiederhören. Bonsoir. Chimo. See ya. Good day. Thank you, and all those other phrases that express simple courtesy.
They don't hurt when the frequency isn’t busy.