PHONE
ADJECTIVES
1967 — ON THE HORN using the telephone (Bk.)
2004 — DARK unreachable by telephone; a condition often resulting from a failure to pay the bill → US sl.
NOUNS
..L19 — DARBY AND JOAN a telephone → rhyming sl.
..20C — AL CAPONE phone → UK rhyming sl.
..20C — CLONE a mobile phone that has been given the electronic identity of an existing mobile phone, so that calls made on the second phone are charged to the owner of the first phone → colloq.
..20C — DOG AND BONE a phone → rhyming sl.
1910 — BUZZ WIRE a telephone or telegraph line → Amer. World War I sl.
1914 — TELEFOAM telephone → Amer. dial.
1922 — BLOWER the telephone → sl.
1927 — AUTOPHONE an automatic telephone
1930 — BUZZ a telephone call → Amer. colloq.
1930 — AMECHE → DON AMECHE a telephone; a telephone number; a telephone call → Can. & US sl.
1930 — CHATTERBOX a telephone → US sl.
1930 — MAGGIE MAHONE a telephone → rhyming sl.
1930 — MIKE MALONE a telephone→ (rhyming sl.
1938 — TINKLE a telephone call → colloq.
1940 — TINGLE a call on the telephone → Aust. sl.
1942 — CHATTER LINES telephone wires → US sl. (Bk.)
1942 — GRAMAPHONE a telephone → US sl. (Bk.)
1942 — HELLOHONE a telephone → US sl. (Bk.)
1942 — MAW BELL a telephone → US sl. (Bk.)
1942 — SWEATBOX a telephone booth → US sl. (Bk.)
1942 — TELEPHOME a telephone → US sl. (Bk.)
1945 — HAIL a telephone call → Amer. dial.
1950 — HORN the telephone → US sl.
1955 — BLAST a telephone call → Amer. sl.
1960 — DOG (AND BONE) the telephone → UK rhyming sl.
1961 — EAU-DE-COLOGNE a telephone → UK rhyming sl.
1961 — ODIE a telephone → UK rhyming sl. – Eau-de-cologne
1961 — ODOUR a telephone → UK rhyming sl. – Eau-de-cologne
1970 — GACKLE WIRE a telephone (Bk.)
1970 — WARBLER a telephone whose bell ‘warbles’ rather then rings → sl.
1971 — MOLLY (MALONE) a telephone → UK rhyming sl.
1973 — PHONE SPOT a telephone location used in a bookmaking operation → US sl.
1976 — DOUBLE L a telephone (landline) → US sl.
1984 — RAG AND BONE a telephone → UK rhyming sl.
1984 — RAG AND BONER a telephone → UK sl.
1990 — BATPHONE a mobile telephone
1990 — ESKIMO NELL a call on the telephone → rhyming sl. for ‘bell’
1990 — FAULTIES a mobile telephone that is being used illegally → African-American teen sl.
1990 — MOBEY → MOBI →MOBY a mobile telephone → sl.
1991 — TRAP an electronic device that records the originating telephone number of all incoming calls (made obsolete with the advent of ‘caller ID’ in the late 1990s) → US sl.
1991 — TELEPHONOPHOBIA an abnormal fear of using the telephone (Bk.)
1995 — DIGITS a telephone number; a telephone → US sl.
1997 — C PHONE a mobile telephone → US sl.
1997 — HAM PATCH a telephone connection enabled by shortwave radio → Antarctica usage
1999 — ALEXANDER a telephone → UK sl.
1999 — POLARI PIPE a telephone → UK sl.
2002 — VACAYA a mobile phone → UK sl.
2003 — BUTT CALL an inadvertent call made on a mobile phone in one’s rear trouser pocket, as a result of pressure being accidentally applied to the keypad or touch screen
2006 — BRICK a large, brick-shaped, handheld mobile telephone that is a precursor to the modern cellphone → US sl. (Bk.)
2006 — CELLULAR MACARENA the activity seen when a cell phone rings in public → US sl. (Bk.)
2007 — BRICK a mobile phone → UK sl. (Bk.)
2008 — BUTT DIAL an inadvertent call made on a mobile phone in one’s rear trouser pocket, as a result of pressure being accidentally applied to the keypad or touch screen
NOUNS, PERSON
1889 — SWITCH-CLERK a telephone operator
1942 — DIAL DIDDLER a telephone operator → Amer. sl. (Bk.)
1942 — HELLO GIRL a telephone operator → Amer. sl. (Bk.)
1942 — INTELLIGENCE BUREAU telephone operators → Amer. sl. (Bk.)
1942 — SWITCHBOARD MUGGER a telephone operator → Amer. sl. (Bk.)
1957 — SWITCHBOARD JOCKEY a telephone operator → Amer. sl.
1972 — PHONE FREAK → PHONE PHREAK a person who electronically and fraudulently manipulates international telephone calls → Amer. sl.
1972 — PHREAKER a person who electronically and fraudulently manipulates international telephone calls → Amer. sl.
1973 — TAPPER one who diverts or intercepts telephone calls
PHRASES
1947 — ON THE WALL! you’re wanted on the phone → Amer. sl. (Bk.)
1947 — SNOW ME phone me → Amer. sl. (Bk.)
1947 — TICKLE MY EAR phone me → Amer. sl. (Bk.)
VERBS
..20C — CLONE to give a mobile phone the electronic identity of an existing mobile phone (see noun) → colloq.
1914 — BUZZ OFF to ring off on the telephone
1916 — BUZZ to telephone → Amer. sl.
1928 — AUTOPHONE to use an automatic telephone
1930 — GIVE SOMEONE A BUZZ to telephone → sl.
1938 — GIVE SOMEONE A TINKLE to telephone → sl.
1954 — BURN UP THE WIRES to spend a great deal of time on the telephone
1960 — RING ON THE TING-A-LING to call on the telephone → Amer. sl.
1966 — DROP A DIME to make a telephone call, esp. to the police to inform on someone → Amer. sl.
1967 — LOOK AT to speak to someone on a telephone → Amer. dial.
1973 — DING-DONG to telephone → Amer. sl.
1982 — GIVE SOMEONE A BELL to telephone → Brit. sl.
1991 — VOICE to telephone → Amer. sl.
1996 — TRAP to install n electronic trap on a telephone line (see PHONE – nouns) → Amer. sl.
1998 — PHONE PHREAK to hack into a telecommunication system → Amer. sl.
1998 — PHREAK to hack into a telecommunication system → Amer. sl.
2001 — T AND T to tape record and trace the origin of a phone call → Amer. sl.
2005 — BUTT DIAL to inadvertently call someone on a mobile phone in one’s rear trouser pocket, as a result of pressure being accidentally applied to the keypad or touch screen
Lexicophilia 