Classic Rotary Phones

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Date:

Instructions: Remember the satisfying click-click-click of a rotary dial? Test your knowledge!

1.
What was the mechanism on a rotary phone that you placed your finger in and turned to dial a number?
A
A push dial
B
A finger wheel with numbered holes
C
A turn crank
D
A dial pad
2.
What sound did a rotary phone make as the dial returned to its starting position after dialing a digit?
A
A tone
B
A ring
C
A series of clicks (pulses)
D
A buzz
3.
Which number took the longest to dial on a rotary phone because the dial had to travel the farthest?
A
5
B
0
C
9
D
1
4.
What were the letters printed next to most numbers on a rotary phone dial used for?
A
Texting codes
B
Telephone exchange names and word-based phone numbers
C
Emergency shortcuts
D
International dialing codes
5.
What was a telephone exchange name, like 'BUtterfield 8' or 'PEnnsylvania 6-5000'?
A
A phone company's brand name
B
A party line identifier
C
A word-based prefix that corresponded to the first two digits of a phone number
D
A secret code for long distance
6.
What color was the standard rotary phone provided by the Bell Telephone Company in most American homes?
A
White
B
Beige
C
Black
D
Gray
7.
What happened if you accidentally let go of the dial before it returned all the way, or dialed a wrong number?
A
An operator corrected it
B
You had to hang up and start over
C
The call connected anyway
D
The phone beeped an error
8.
What was the spiral, coiled cord that connected the handset to the base of a rotary phone called?
A
The receiver wire
B
The line cord
C
The handset cord (coiled cord)
D
The extension cord
9.
What model number identified the most common Western Electric rotary desk phone used in American homes from the 1950s onward?
A
Model 302
B
Model 2500
C
Model 100
D
Model 500
10.
What did people keep near their rotary phone to look up numbers before calling?
A
A Rolodex or personal phone book
B
A calculator
C
A notepad only
D
A directory app
11.
What dialing technology replaced rotary pulse dialing and used tones instead of clicks?
A
Voice dialing
B
Digital dialing
C
Touch-Tone (DTMF) dialing
D
Speed dialing
12.
What was the small metal or plastic piece under the handset that disconnected the call when the phone was hung up?
A
The mouthpiece
B
The hook switch (cradle switch)
C
The dial mechanism
D
The ringer
13.
On a rotary phone, what number could NOT have letters associated with it on the dial?
A
0 and 1
B
9
C
5
D
2
14.
What thick, printed book, delivered annually to every household by the phone company, listed residential and business phone numbers?
A
The Bell register
B
The contact directory
C
The telephone gazette
D
The white pages and yellow pages (phone book)
15.
What extra-long coiled cord did teenagers stretch from the hallway phone into their bedroom for privacy?
A
A phone extension
B
An extra-long handset cord (25 feet or more)
C
A phone splitter
D
A wireless adapter

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