# calculator vs telephone

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calculator-vs-telephone/83360
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [September 23, 2001, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calculator-vs-telephone/83360 "2001-09-23T18:14:40Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![frankie1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@frankie1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/frankie1)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2001, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calculator-vs-telephone/83360/1 "2001-09-23T18:14:40Z")

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Can anyone tell me why the telephone keypad and the calculator numberpad are set up backwards to each other? Who dreamt up this little nightmare?

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### Author: ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2001, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calculator-vs-telephone/83360/2 "2001-09-23T18:35:37Z")

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[Here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=84011) you go.