"We didn't have time to phone-call anybody." [NT]

[Jonathan Lighter]

I like "invisi-call."

I just made it up, BTW.

JL

On Sun, Nov 11, 2012 at 9:27 AM, Damien Hall <damien.hall at newcastle.ac.uk>wrote:

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> Poster:       Damien Hall <damien.hall at NEWCASTLE.AC.UK>
> Subject:      "We didn't have time to phone-call anybody." [NT]
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> Joel asked:
>
> 'Is this a [what-do-you-call-it]?  Like "rotary phone" was needed when
> keyed phones arrived.  What other "adjectives" besides "phone" are
> now attached to "call"?  "cell-call"?  "page-call"?  "IMS-call"?  Etc.'
>
> That's a retronym, isn't it?
>
> A fairly common pre-modifier for 'call' is 'voice', to distinguish plain
> old telephone conversations from video ones.  There are no doubt others!
>
> Damien
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