Everyday Life
Game 55
The Little Phone That Lit Up
On the Nightstand
A video by Gary Lacher
The game's question
Take turns with the clues, one each—the name often comes before the last line.
In 1959, the Bell System brought out a new telephone made for the bedroom. It was small enough for the nightstand, and its dial lit up at night, so no one had to turn on the lamp to make a call. The ads said it in three short lines: “It’s little… It’s lovely… It lights!” What was this little phone called?
- The Touch-Tone phone
- The Princess phone
- The Party Line
Need a hint?
Think of a fairy-tale girl who wears a crown, with this phone beside her bed. Where did the phone sit at your house, and who talked the longest?
See the answer
Answer: The Princess phone—Bell System, 1959, with a dial that lit up.
Why this game : A telephone at home says a lot about family life: who was on the line, the long talks, the cord stretched into the next room.
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Help! Who's Going to Take Care of My Parents?The book all these games come from.
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