Illustration

Usually used when people want to call someone on the phone. Wondering if anyone had any idea about its origin.

The horn is the phone. For example, people also say "I'm on the horn" during a call. I'm guessing that this nickname came from the shape of early receivers, which were roughly cylindrical with one flared end.

Click below for a Web page that shows one such model. If link is missing, use www.cybercomm.net/~chuck/we20al.html