Telling Bone

Posted by Barny on May 03, 2000

In Reply to: Telling Bone posted by Gary Martin on May 02, 2000

: : 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

Rhyming slang perhaps?