Job Discussion Forums

Ben Round de Bloc · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1946

This topic came up in a discussion among some of us at work a while back. Maybe my age is showing -- it often does -- but to me it sounds strange to use the verb dial with modern push-button phones. I realize that push-button phones have a Redial button. That's the word that's on the button. However, there's no dial to dial on a push-button phone. If I remember correctly, many automatic recordings that one hears just before being put on hold or being cut off use the verb press as in, "If you'd like customer assistance, press 2." Granted, it's been a few years since I've spent any amount of time in a country where English is the dominant language of the telephone. So, is the word dial the common term to use?

R · Joined: 07 May 2003 Posts: 277 Location: United Kingdom

I think so. Don't phones have "push button dialing" and buttons for "speed dialing"? I think the word dial has been severed from its roots and dragged into a new age.

Hogbear · Joined: 12 Oct 2003 Posts: 42 Location: New York City

I think dial is an acceptable verb for using a touch-tone phone, even though a touch-tone phone doesn't actually have a dial (noun). (Or does it? I don't know the inner workings of phones.)

Spigada · Joined: 08 Sep 2003 Posts: 2 Location: Vancouver, Canada

The inner workings of phones do not have any dials in them (to my knowledge)

They're more like tiny computers for specific purposes. Especially cell/mobile phones.

fat_chris · Joined: 10 Sep 2003 Posts: 3198 Location: Beijing

I can't dial a push button phone, but I most certainly can slam that f--ker against the wall when it doesn't work. Evil or Very Mad

denise · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 3419 Location: finally home-ish

I had never thought about this before...

I think I would say "call the number."

d

FGT · Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Posts: 762 Location: Turkey

We use the verb 'dial' although there is no longer a dial (noun). How can you "call" a number - do you say it out loud?
(I know that both these verbs + 'ring' etc are acceptable, I'm just being picky!)

R · Joined: 07 May 2003 Posts: 277 Location: United Kingdom

Push button phones still have a button marked 'redial'

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

Well, well, well, in ENglish so much is allowed these days:
- Ship/ferry/truck/bus/cart a person or goods from place A to place B

Lynn · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 696 Location: in between

I think you can dial a push button phone. When I worked as a Japanese hotel operator I would say to the guests, "233 wo mawashte kudasi". (dial 233 please) I was corrected by my coworker. She explained that even though we say "dial" in English for push button phones, the Japanese guests will get confused because they can't "dial" (mawasu) a push button phone.