# How long until we stop calling them "phones"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 21, 2013, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-stop-calling-them-phones/676903 "2013-12-21T16:05:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-stop-calling-them-phones/676903/41 "2013-12-23T01:52:24Z")
> [@ataraxy22](#): > > Mine is my trichorder. Ah, so it sings in harmony? > [@Infovore](#): > > In Shadowrun, the RPG I play (set in the 2050s-2070s) a very similar device used to be called a “pocket secretary” or “pocsec.” When they first referred to these in-game back in the late '80s through early 2000s they didn’t exist yet, but what was described was essentially a high-end smartphone. I sometimes call my iPhone my pocket secretary. The newer term is “commlink,” which I suppose would work too, but I like the “old-fashioned” version better. 🙂 Yeah, _Shadowrun_ has one of the most interesting fictional worlds I’ve run across. Makes me wonder how much longer until we start to get _unobtrusive non-awkward_ augmented-reality systems, and whether they’ll be full of ads too. (Wasn’t there a minor character in _The Diamond Age_ who was driven insane by malware spouting ads 24/7 _on the inside of his corneas?_) ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-stop-calling-them-phones/676903/42 "2013-12-23T02:06:31Z")
> [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](#): > > If they ever make it so we can rename Siri, I’m going with ‘Flowers’ or ‘Leaves’. > > [Roadmarks - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roadmarks) yeah - I like that - I call mine my ‘communicator’ - too bad with the advent of smart phones the flip phones have become antiques. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-stop-calling-them-phones/676903/43 "2013-12-23T02:54:50Z")
> [@Aquadementia](#): > > They are still evolving so don’t be so quick to name it. I mean they only just learned to start watching its user constantly. > To guess it’s final name it will probably be a “mobile enslavement device.” If it develops any further then that we won’t be the ones naming it. Reminds me of Fritz Leiber’s “[The Creature from Cleveland Depths](http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/23164)” published in _Galaxy_ back in 1962. Wherein they were called “ticklers.” ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-stop-calling-them-phones/676903/44 "2013-12-23T17:45:15Z")
I think they will be called phones for a long long time. The word “phone” will just mean any handheld device that does what a smart phone does. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-stop-calling-them-phones/676903/45 "2013-12-23T18:57:53Z")
I predict that we’ll call them a “Telecommunicator”. Eh? Eh? It’s a work in progress. ---
**Author:** ![Precambrianmollusc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/precambrianmollusc/32/63_2.png) [@Precambrianmollusc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Precambrianmollusc)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-stop-calling-them-phones/676903/46 "2013-12-23T19:22:54Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > And don’t forget the [handset](http://www.overstock.com/Electronics/8-inch-Retro-Phone-Handset-for-iPhone-iPad-iPod/6267585/product.html). 🙂 I have been looking for a Bluetooth device so I can take calls when on the ski lift or skiing ( lots of work is done from the home office, aka ski mountain), but damnit I think I need one of those hanging on my jacket with the phone safely tucked away inside. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-stop-calling-them-phones/676903/47 "2013-12-24T02:42:17Z")
Author Gary Shteyngart calls them “apparats” in his near-future novel _Super Sad True Love Story_. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-stop-calling-them-phones/676903/48 "2013-12-24T05:39:42Z")
Possibly never. They’re still calling Aids a “syndrome,” that’s what the S stands for. A syndrome has no discernible cause. They can only diagnose it from the symptoms once everything else has been ruled out. Aids was originally diagnosed from the symptoms after ruling everything else out. It’s actually not a syndrome anymore, it has a specific cause, HIV, but the name has stuck as a misnomer thanks to the press. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-stop-calling-them-phones/676903/49 "2013-12-24T10:58:22Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > Reminds me of Fritz Leiber’s “[The Creature from Cleveland Depths](http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/23164)” published in _Galaxy_ back in 1962. Wherein they were called “ticklers.” Thanks. That’s the other thing this thread reminded me of, but I couldn’t recall the title. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-stop-calling-them-phones/676903/50 "2013-12-24T12:08:45Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > I think they will be called phones for a long long time… The word “phone” will last forever. But it will be used only for the most common type of phone --i.e. the hand-held smartphone. What will change is the word we use for the old fashioned devices. Sort of the way that the word “mail” as changed. It now means email, and if you want to talk about the old-fashioned type, you have to use a newer term: snail mail. The language for old phones is already morphing: to the term “landline”. Right now, most people use the word landline to mean the _number_ you dial. But soon, “landline” will also mean the physical instrument that sits on your desk. ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-stop-calling-them-phones/676903/51 "2013-12-24T12:38:22Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > The word “phone” will last forever. But it will be used only for the most common type of phone --i.e. the hand-held smartphone. > What will change is the word we use for the old fashioned devices. > > Sort of the way that the word “mail” as changed. It now means email, and if you want to talk about the old-fashioned type, you have to use a newer term: snail mail. > > The language for old phones is already morphing: to the term “landline”. > Right now, most people use the word landline to mean the _number_ you dial. But soon, “landline” will also mean the physical instrument that sits on your desk. That’s a really good point I think. I also hear “hardline” being used to refer to old-school landlines, although admittedly mainly in the context of police/espionage/military use in TV programmes and films. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-stop-calling-them-phones/676903/52 "2013-12-24T14:16:47Z")
That must be a regional thing. Most folks I deal with, mail can either be snail mail or e-mail depending on context. Nobody goes to the Post Office to pick up their email, and nobody needs to log onto a computer to get a post card. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-stop-calling-them-phones/676903/53 "2013-12-24T14:23:17Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > Sort of the way that the word “mail” as changed. It now means email, and if you want to talk about the old-fashioned type, you have to use a newer term: snail mail. Have you ever heard someone say “snail mail” in a non-joking way? Because “snail mail” is a phrase I’ve never heard spoken out loud unless the speaker was making an obvious joke. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-stop-calling-them-phones/676903/54 "2013-12-24T15:07:20Z")
I’ve used “snail mail” in a non-joking manner. Heard it used by others too. ---
**Author:** ![James\_Toothpaste](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e56c9b/32.png) [@James\_Toothpaste](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/James_Toothpaste)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-stop-calling-them-phones/676903/55 "2013-12-24T15:34:01Z")
We will never stop calling them phones. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tread](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Tread](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tread)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-stop-calling-them-phones/676903/56 "2013-12-25T02:40:06Z")
I dunno know… I’m still waiting on the term “ice cubes” to die out ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-stop-calling-them-phones/676903/57 "2013-12-25T07:29:15Z")
> [@Tread](#): > > I dunno know… I’m still waiting on the term “ice cubes” to die out Because ice is… round… now? Help me out here. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-stop-calling-them-phones/676903/58 "2013-12-25T16:22:35Z")
Justin Bailey: > [@](#): > > Because ice is… round… now? Help me out here. Well, the ice pieces produced by most automatic icemakers isn’t really cubic, maybe? I know my freezer makes sort of a rectangular prism that’s rounded on one side, sort of the shape of a canoe. The ice dispenser at my local 7-11 produces short cylinders - I guess they’re sort of close to cubic, but the shape is more gumdrop-like. The icemaker at the summer camp my kids go to produces little square “pillows” of ice, like the shape of ravioli. It’s nit-picking - the ice-machine-makers probably start with a cube as their ideal and then adjust the shape to make the machine dispense better - but it does seem that nowadays, we refer to any not-randomly-shaped (i.e., as opposed to crushed or chipped) piece of ice as a cube. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-stop-calling-them-phones/676903/59 "2013-12-27T10:32:48Z")
Eh, ice trays still produce more-or-less cube-shaped (well, I’ve got one that produces Han Solo-shaped ones, but I digress) hunks of ice, and there’s not really a better name available. Ice Hexahedrons? Ice Chunks? Ice Things? ---
**Author:** ![GrizzRich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ba0ec/32.png) [@GrizzRich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrizzRich)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-stop-calling-them-phones/676903/60 "2013-12-27T18:17:31Z")
We still “dial” a number and it “rings”, even though few of us have rotary-dials and phones with bells inside. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-stop-calling-them-phones/676903.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-stop-calling-them-phones/676903.md?page=4)