Significant numbers

[Jim Parish]

Neil Crawford wrote:
> "The government boys play for blood since nine-one-one."
> --Loren D. Estleman, 'Nicotine Kiss', A Forge Book/Tom Doherty Associates,
> NY, 2006, 20
>
> "But there's a lot of bad feeling in this country towards Arabs in general
> since nine-one-one..."
> --Ibid, 208
>
> Is this an isolated alternative vocalisation?

You'll hear it from time to time, but "nine-eleven" is more common.

> By the by, I may know 911 -- but not 900. Can anyone enlighten me?
>
> 'Lieutenant Mary Ann Thaler doesn't sound half as sexy as she looks, and the
> way she sounds turns 911 into 900.'
> --Ibid, 27

900 is the prefix for numbers which charge callers an additional amount
per minute, usually for services of various kinds. The allusion here is
probably to phone-sex lines.

Jim Parish

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