Telling Bone

If I am not mistaken, the little used name "telling bone" for telephone originates
from a British TV series called "Catweasel" where a midaeval magician transports himself
through time to the twentieth century. One of his nicknames was telling bone for the
telephone.

I'd guess the series aired in the early seventies.

Andrew

I can remember using the phrase in the 1950s but I've no idea where it came from.

Gary