For years, my dad used to quote phone numbers with exchanges, like “aunt frannie? Oh, she’s Dumont-6419”. I had no idea what that meant as a kid and i’d have to tell him to just give me the numbers.
“Rotary phone” is a retronym. When they were new, they were called “dial phones”. But since people kept using the word “dial” in the 60s to mean what you did with the new pushbuttons, the term “rotary” had to be invented to mean the old kind of “dial”.
I grew up with rotary dials. When I went to work for the phone company after I got out of the Air Force, I finally got a Touch Tone® phone. Now, I have an iPhone and cordless landline phone. I’m looking forward to the implant phones.
Bilan almost 7 years ago
Rotary phone? Is that an iPhone on top of a spinner?
Gent almost 7 years ago
Or a Pager…
Tigressy almost 7 years ago
A book and a rotary dial? – Me thinks someone reads the comments… ;-D
tripwire45 almost 7 years ago
Everybody’s going “retro” these days. “Old” is the new “new.”
blakerl almost 7 years ago
rotary phone with a party line (old social media)
ksu71 almost 7 years ago
If Oldbot thinks a rotary is new technology he must have been using one of those crank phones like my grandparents had. Well into the 50’s by the way.
Packratjohn Premium Member almost 7 years ago
Mabel? Connect me to NASA.
Darwinskeeper almost 7 years ago
Oldbot, dream big! Become a flip phone!!!
Ray_C almost 7 years ago
I think he’d be better suited as a computer game station. Say, maybe Robot War or Robot Odyssey. Or Unintendo. ;-)
Alabama Al almost 7 years ago
Um … how is Oldbot turning the pages of the book? (I assume someone placed it there for him (it?).
Daeder almost 7 years ago
…or a slide rule…
Charlie Tuba almost 7 years ago
I remember learning how to tap-dial. I think it still works with a landline.
We had a communal phone with a dial lock. I would tap dial when I didn’t have my key.
InquireWithin almost 7 years ago
For years, my dad used to quote phone numbers with exchanges, like “aunt frannie? Oh, she’s Dumont-6419”. I had no idea what that meant as a kid and i’d have to tell him to just give me the numbers.
Stephen Gilberg almost 7 years ago
He should get together with Mustachio from “Skin Horse.”
Andrew Sleeth almost 7 years ago
Better check the closet to make sure Dr. Mel hasn’t locked up a deranged, murderous robot onto which he plans to graft your bot head.
John W Kennedy Premium Member almost 7 years ago
“Rotary phone” is a retronym. When they were new, they were called “dial phones”. But since people kept using the word “dial” in the 60s to mean what you did with the new pushbuttons, the term “rotary” had to be invented to mean the old kind of “dial”.
cknoblo Premium Member almost 7 years ago
I grew up with rotary dials. When I went to work for the phone company after I got out of the Air Force, I finally got a Touch Tone® phone. Now, I have an iPhone and cordless landline phone. I’m looking forward to the implant phones.