So true... Nathan! I use that expression all the time. But young people don't have a clue. I sold a townhome last year to a young couple who when they saw a hook-up in the kitchen for a wall phone asked me what it was for. When I told them they looked at me very strangely and then asked it it would hurt the home if they removed it!

Still alive and well. Phones aren't off the hook anymore. Things are off the hook sometimes. People are off the hook sometimes.

Here's hoping the phrase "6%" doesn't disappear.

A phrase from the past for sure. Remember when the office phone had many buttons for indivdual lines?

How about a telephone operator saying "I have a collect call from".

You Sound Like a BROKEN RECORD...

"What's a record lol"

That is so true. And many of our common phrases are from a by-gone error. Remember - "until the cows come home?" How many of us have cows today? What does that actually mean?  But we still use these phrases.

They say, "My phone is blowing up!" - and it's typically with text messages!

that's funny..... and very true.... 

At the risk of betraying my age, LOL, I admit to using that phrase all the time...and never think about whether or not others even know what it means. 

Good one...  

That is a great point, there is no more hook. Well i listed a very large home, builtin the 1970's complete with shag carpeting and yellow, green and white mounted rotary phones i got to how my daughter. The owner said i could have them.

Do you still have a Land Line ???

Great one..thanks for sharing....

...here is one from 1993 ... .gotta go...just got paged is there a phone nearby?

Lol. That's a good one Nathan Gesner !

Nathan, I often refer to my name and add that I only have one personality. I  have seen blank stares from the younger generation on that comment.

I still say "Sock it to me". Most people don't understand.

I remember how excited I was when touch button dial phones were installed in my office.  It saved so much time!   

I often look up the origins of old sayings I don't know the origins of.  Like "don't throw out the baby with the bath water".  That's an interesting one.  

Nathan,

Had not thought of that.  A

Yes.   And how about rolling down the window(as in your car)?  

Nathan Gesner I can remember when "touch tone" phones replaced the rotary dial phone. Big technology break through

I haven't heard this much lately but for us older folks it is a natural statement.

Quit slamming the phone down! We still have rotary phones and still use them.

Debe Maxwell, CRS nailed this one!

I guess we need a replacement for that. How about, my pants leg is vibrating so much it is giving me tingles.

My great aunt still says, "the greatest thing since sliced bread". She was born in 1919. They invented sliced bread in 1928 when she was 9 years old.

I hear people say my phone blew up today - all the time now!

I (John) worked 20+ years in the Land-Line (Dialtone) industry, and many great phrases are taking a hit:

"Trouble Left here Fine"

"Tip and Ring"

"Butt-In (hand-set used to tap into a phone call)"

"Is this the Party with whom I'm speaking?"

"Gee, No - GTE (I once worked for General Telephone)"

Heck - they are now correcting History and downgrading Alexander Bell, as he was not the first to invent the telephone!!!

True. Sort of like 'Clean your room'?

My son asked me why I say roll down the window.  I had to explain

Color TV was incredible to behold after watching black & white

Yes! I have an old red rotary phone sitting on my desk to remind me of the good old days. We don't habe phone jacks in our house so it just sits there. My kids play with it and ask me why it doesn't work. At least they know it is a phone. -Kasey

OMG, I have not heard that saying in years!  Now it's my phone is blowing up!!! lol

Money doesn't grow on trees

Nathan Gesner - things change with the time and so are the phrases....

Si agree.

Many old sayings are gone because of technology

Wow that is a old phrase for sure.

That is a common term, and our young folks won't ever understand that!