You don't 'dial' a phone any more.

[trof]

So what do you do?
Punch a phone?
Press it?
Poke it?
Key it?

That sound you hear when you're making a call.
It's not a 'dial' tone any more, is it?
There's nothing to dial.

Dials are on 'sunclocks' and analog watches.
Not on telephones.

We need to come up with new terminology.

[Lex]

1. Lots of people still say "crank" the car

and it's been a while since you had to crank it to start the engine.

[trof]

20. I actually had a car with a crank.

It was a '52 (I think) Morris Minor convertible.

And one morning the battery was flat.
And I got the crazy idea of getting the crank out of the 'boot'.
Inserted it into the socket in front of the engine and cranked it around a few times and
VARRROOOMMM!!!
I was amazed.

[TCJ70]

2. While you are technically correct...

...dial is more of a concept word when it comes to phones anymore. I don't think there's anything wrong with using the word in context of entering a phone number.

[Kali]

3. the guy that has the feed store in town does!

actually I still have a dial phone, but I'm using the line for my speedy internet connection
(speaking of which...http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7927892 )

[gmoney]

4. Prod?

[Orrex]

5. I'll bet you remember when this was all fields

Sounds like you gots to polish up your ear trumpet, grampaw!

[trof]

6. Hell, I remember when a McDonald's burger was 15 cents.

Fries were a dime.
Older than dirt.
That's me.

[MiddleFingerMom]

7. I remember when...

.
... a McDonald's burger was 18 cents.
.
You ARE old!!!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Geezer.
.

[trof]

21. Jack's Hamburgers was a local (Alabama) competitor. Their radio jingle:

Jack's hamburgers for fifteen cents are so good, good, good.
You come back, back, back.
To Jack, Jack, Jack's.
For more, more more.

Weird what the geezer mind remembers.
:shrug:

[Oldtimeralso]

15. I remember both those prices and was there when they

opened their 100th restaurant. Ray Kroc and all were their driving flintstone mobiles.

[libtodeath]

8. I`m old enough

To have grown up with a dial phone and be on a party line.

[trof]

22. Oh yeah. Party lines.

Our 'party partner' was one long ring and we were two short ones.
And as a little kid I'd pick up on their ring and eavesdrop.
And the lady I was eavesdropping on would say "HANG UP! I KNOW YOU'RE LISTENING!"
:rofl:
The wuz the days.

[Lionel Mandrake]

9. Dial M for Murder

The title wouldn't make sense if you forgot the old terminology.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7IJ53ln80E

[Jokerman]

10. Finger it?

Probably not.

[rcrush]

11. Finger up Mrs Smith for me and find out where the car is.

See it works!

[Jokerman]

12. The party you have fingered, is no longer in service.

Please check and make sure you have fingered correctly.

[Robb]

13. Just hit zero and ask for the operator.

...They love it when you ask them to dial a number for you. Especially if you begin, "Can you connect me to __________?" :D

[trof]

23. After the dial phones came in, granny would still say "Call Central and ask her for..."

Used to be all voice with central operators.

[rabs]

14. When was the last time

your phone "rang off the hook?"

I still hear people (especially in TV ads) saying that even today.

------------
Etymology: based on the idea of having the telephone ring so much it causes the part you hold in your hand to fall off the part it rests on.

[GreenPartyVoter]

16. Hold your horses, there! No reason not to keep the current terminology. I think it's

a nice nod to the past. :^)

(Although I don't think I actually hear the word "dial" all that often anymore anyway.)

[Yavin4]

17. Well, I Still Tie an Onion Around My Belt

And I don't care if it's in style.

[trof]

19. "As was the style at that time" I remember it, but where does that come from?

Vonnegut?

[denbot]

18. One of our two land lines is a rotoary dial phone.

If our power goes out our wireless phone is useless. The old rotary phones don't need to be plugged in to work. Plus Alley likes the retro-ness.

[trof]

24. I keep a 'wired' phone just for that.

It's a pushbutton, but it works with power out.