# Anachronistic lyrics confusion? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 11, 2019, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anachronistic-lyrics-confusion/841614 "2019-10-11T00:15:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anachronistic-lyrics-confusion/841614/21 "2019-10-12T15:42:24Z")
> [@MrAtoz](#): > > Yeah, in the old days, to “make love” to someone was to woo them or make advances to them. It is funny to see it turn up in old books and movies. Yup. I remember being a bit startled the first time I read the Narnia books, and read a line about Lucy (the youngest girl) making love to everybody in the house. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anachronistic-lyrics-confusion/841614/22 "2019-10-12T15:46:47Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > In Bullitt (1968) the SFPD gets a copy of Ross’ ID via a handset modem fax. Mind you it took five minutes per page, was as big as a small car, and made more noise that a 707 taking off, but it was a [del]sex[/del] fax machine. Probably a topic for a different thread, but I wonder when “fax” became the standard term. I do recall my dad, before the 80s, mentioning the “facsimile machine” at work. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anachronistic-lyrics-confusion/841614/23 "2019-10-12T16:07:29Z")
According to [Etymology Online](https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=fax), the term “fax” for the technology dates from 1948, as a verb from 1972, and as a noun meaning the transmission itself from 1980. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anachronistic-lyrics-confusion/841614/24 "2019-10-12T16:23:29Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > “By Jove, you’re right!” he ejaculated. “Watson!” Holmes ejaculated. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anachronistic-lyrics-confusion/841614/25 "2019-10-12T18:31:40Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > > [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > > > Also, fax machines were common in businesses by 1980, when the song was written. Home faxes came along later. > > In Bullitt (1968) the SFPD gets a copy of Ross’ ID via a handset modem fax. Mind you it took five minutes per page, was as big as a small car, and made more noise that a 707 taking off, but it was a [del]sex[/del] fax machine. As I remember, the climax of _Call Northside 777_, a 1948 film, involved a faxed photo that proved the innocence of a man on death row. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anachronistic-lyrics-confusion/841614/26 "2019-10-12T18:45:59Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > According to [Etymology Online](https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=fax), the term “fax” for the technology dates from 1948, as a verb from 1972, and as a noun meaning the transmission itself from 1980. That fits in with my experience. We were using the term c1975 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anachronistic-lyrics-confusion/841614.md?page=1)