10 Fascinating Facts about Phone Numbers

Mashable (tip o'the hat NRO's The Corner) ^ | 07/05/2011 (approximately) | Amy-Mae Elliott

[jocon307]

You probably dial a few of them every day, but do you ever stop and think about the history behind a phone number? When were the first numbers introduced? How did you end up with a particular area code?

We’ve got the answers to these quandaries and more in our collection of 10 fascinating facts that you might not know about the common phone number.

[NativeSon]

In college, my number was: fun-cola

[beaversmom]

I think I saw something about this on “How the States Got Their Shape”.

[Finny]

I remember when you could set your clocks by calling Time on the telephone -- I don't remember the number now, but it was really simple, just a 7-digit thing, and very handy. You'd call and a pleasant sounding recorded voice, female, would say: "The time is. Seven forty two. And ten. Seconds. *beep* The time is. Seven forty fwo. And fifteen. Seconds. *beep* The time is ... "(etc.)

My dad often called it to set battery clocks, etc. Whenever there was someone else in the house (... though who knows, maybe that didn't matter!), we'd hear him dial the phone and inquire politely:

Hello, could you tell me the time please? (pause) Seven forty-three and fifteen seconds, well, thank you! (pause)What was that? (pause) Oh, yes, it's nice and sunny here, not windy at all, but then again, we're -- (pause, followed by polite chuckle) -- no, nothing like that! (longer pause) Well, thank you for asking! Yes, she's fine, doing very well. (pause, and a nice laugh as he listened) Well, that rascal! I hope you weren't too rough on hi -- (pause, more laughter) Oh, I believe you! Well, thanks for telling me the time, I -- (pause, another laugh) -- oh very good, very good! (more laughter) Okay then, bye bye now!"

He'd hang up and remark to anyone listening that that lady at the telephone company who always had the time was sure a nice lady, and then go on about his day. My dad is a man who definitely knows how to take the time to smell life's roses along the way! {^)

[Smokin' Joe]

In the days of the hand crank phone out this way, some phone calls were routed along fence lines (barbed wire). Reception was pretty bad, but you could tell if it was time to go fix the fence.

[ADemocratNoMore]

> I’ve often wondered why the Hollywood bigwigs cannot arrange to have a totally unused number for their use.

They did that in one of the last seasons of 24. As I recall, they used a real number in some episodes and if you were quick to dial you got to talk to a cast member.

I called once and got through but with all the gun-play on the TV at the time, I'm not sure if I got Chloe or a wrong number so I apologized and hung up. When I tried it again it was busy.

[ADemocratNoMore]

If you lived in N.E. Ohio in the 60s and 70’s and you listened to the Indians or the Browns on the radio then this sponsor’s jingle must still be embedded in your brain as it is mine...

"Garfield 1-2323, Garfield 1-2323, the Aluminum Siding Corporation".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkiaNkxraFU&NR=1

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Q: Who is responsible for the quote “Fe Fi Fo Fum?”

A: Mike Tyson giving out his phone number.

[Tammy8]

When I was in college some years ago I was a campus switchboard operator and we used a plug board for the whole campus. So I know what it was like to be a “back in the day” telephone operator. I thought it was fun and got to be pretty fast.

[Verbosus]

I have a 555 Cordboard (switchboard) next to my bed.
You see them a lot in old movies, lined up one next to
each other in a row with operators sitting at each one.
The ‘desk’ height is perfect for a bedside table.
:)

[Shire]

Mutual 5 0686 when I was little.

[P.O.E.]

Helen Keller met her teacher Anne Sullivan through contact with Alexander Graham Bell. His invention of the telephone was the result of his research into helping the deaf.

[P.O.E.]

Oh, and it was Watson who invented the phone booth. His landlady was complaining about all the racket (having to shout into the primitive contraption). So he rolled up some blankets into a tent of sorts and voila!

[Hot Tabasco]

I wonder what people would think of party lines today?

My only advice would be to make sure you pick up your phone before one of my sisters does.....

[Hot Tabasco]

I think it started with just the word, or actually the first 2 letters of the word

It did, my grandparents phone # in Detroit in the '50's was TUxedo 5-2303

Where I grew up in northern Michigan, we only had to dial 4 numbers for local calls.....

[clashfan]

What a great sense of humor. You probably do already but I would say tell your Dad you love him and appreciate him while you can still talk about him in the present tense. All my stories about my Dad have been in the past tense for some time now.

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

When I was a kid there was one such number for time and another for weather. The one for time used to say (at 10 second intervals) “At the tone the time will be XX:YY”. And then a tone would sound. This would repeat for as long as you stayed on the line. My younger siblings called this endlessly and referred to it as calling “the tone the time”.

[Peet]

If you want to obtain an exchange, download the application from NANPA : North American Numbering Plan Adminstration where you can also check the database for available exchanges...

I stumbled across this looking for a reliable ZIP-code site.

[mad_as_he$$]

It is all the fault of about 10 engineers at Bell labs.

[ZinGirl]

can’t have a phone thread without THIS gal
http://www.patfleet.com/

[numberonepal]

My daughter has a toy rotary phone.

There's a rotary dial app for smart phones if you're feeling nostalgic.