Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!genrad!decvax!vortex!lauren From: lauren@vortex.UUCP Newsgroups: net.misc Subject: "#" Message-ID: <64@vortex.UUCP> Date: Sat, 25-Jun-83 18:20:01 EDT Article-I.D.: vortex.64 Posted: Sat Jun 25 18:20:01 1983 Date-Received: Sun, 26-Jun-83 02:25:57 EDT Lines: 17 Gee whiz. At least when discussing the symbols on the telephone "dial", I've always called "#" by the name "diamond" and "*" by the name "star". I've come across quite a number of Bell System people who still do the same. The reason dates back to some of the early touch-tone telephones (and the current generations of military AUTOVON telephone sets) which actually had/have a five-pointed star on the left-hand button of the bottom row, and a 4-sided diamond on the right-hand button of that row, instead of the more "conventional" symbols. --Lauren-- P.S. Of course, AUTOVON phones also have the fourth column of red buttons, marked FO (Flash Override), F (Flash), I (Interrupt), and P (Priority). --LW--