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Phone Word

 Phone Word
type
FeatureClass
 Phone Word
label
Phone Word
 Phone Word
page
PhoneWord
 Phone Word
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Standard phone keypads the world over have letters associated with each number, with 1 being reserved, 2 = ABC, 3 = DEF, etc. This sometimes results in people or businesses either purchasing custom phone numbers that can be used to spell words (also called "vanity phone numbers"), or otherwise attempting to make a meaningful word or phrase out of an existing phone number to improve memorability. For example, Mexican bank Banamex's call center can be reached by dialing variations of "BANAMEX" (226-2639), such as 1-800-BANAMEX (1-800-226-2639) from the United States, or 55-1-BANAMEX (55-1226-2639) from within the country.
Businesses have long since taken advantage of this by attempting to create a mnemonic with the letters associated with their phone number for ease of memorability, or to enable a Phone Number Jingle. Fictional works also tend to make heavy use of this property for their fake phone numbers, often for comedic effect.
Japanese numbers can also be read as various letters, called Goroawase Number, leading to an alternate method of achieving this trope.
"1-800" was the original toll-free prefix for business phone numbers in the in the North American Numbering Plan area, followed by the 7 digits that make up the rest of the number (sometimes more than 7 numbers are used in order to spell a longer word, and the excess digits are ignored when dialed). As businesses tend to be the ones both with enough money to purchase custom phone numbers, and the desire to have their phone number be memorable, "1-800" numbers make up the bulk of this trope in real life in the United States.
There's even a website that will let you type in a phone number and will tell you what sorts of things can be spelled with it, or conversely, what phone number a word spells.
Trope applies to any phone number, real or fake, that is read as a word or phrase, not necessarily just 1-800 numbers.
The number will occasionally start with 555.
See also Vanity License Plate.
 Phone Word
fetched
2023-10-03T17:15:16Z
 Phone Word
parsed
2023-10-03T17:15:16Z
 Phone Word
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Dropped link to EmpiresSMP: Not an Item - UNKNOWN
 Phone Word
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 Phone Word
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 Phone Word
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 Phone Word
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 Phone Word
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 Phone Word
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Empires SMP (Web Video)
 Phone Word
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DBTropes
 Phone Word / int_261c8d3f
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Phone Word
 Phone Word / int_261c8d3f
comment
The Simpsons
In "Homer the Smithers" Mr. Burns tries to call Smithers by dialing S-M-I-T-H-E-R-S, but after the first seven digits gets Moe's Tavern, where Moe thinks that it's a Prank Call.
"Some Enchanted Evening" features 1-800-YOU-SQUEAL.
"Homer's Triple Bypass" reveals that Dr. Nick Riviera's phone number is 1-600-DOCTORB.
 Phone Word / int_261c8d3f
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1.0
 Phone Word / int_261c8d3f
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1.0
 The Simpsons
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Phone Word / int_261c8d3f
 Phone Word / int_2bbcacd9
type
Phone Word
 Phone Word / int_2bbcacd9
comment
In the Looney Tunes film Daffy Duck's Quackbusters, Daffy, Bugs and Porky run a Ghostbusters-esque agency, and their phone number is 555-5925, or 555-KWAK.
 Phone Word / int_2bbcacd9
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1.0
 Phone Word / int_2bbcacd9
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 Looney Tunes
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Phone Word / int_2bbcacd9
 Phone Word / int_3e5de40b
type
Phone Word
 Phone Word / int_3e5de40b
comment
In Scrubs, Turk gets a vanity number that spells CALLTURK. When it's pointed out that this is one too many digits, he says he hopes people will dial the 'K' even though they don't have to. J.D. promises, "I'll always dial the 'K' for you."
 Phone Word / int_3e5de40b
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1.0
 Phone Word / int_3e5de40b
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1.0
 Scrubs
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Phone Word / int_3e5de40b
 Phone Word / int_3f9e415
type
Phone Word
 Phone Word / int_3f9e415
comment
The first two Saints Row games allow you to dial various phone numbers on your cell phone. Most of them follow this trope. For example, the number for Haz Mat is 555-6677 or 555-OOPS.
 Phone Word / int_3f9e415
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1.0
 Phone Word / int_3f9e415
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 Saints Row (Video Game)
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Phone Word / int_3f9e415
 Phone Word / int_4505668c
type
Phone Word
 Phone Word / int_4505668c
comment
In The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, the initial phone codes to contact Mycroft are actual words with nulls added to get them to the correct length %(I think Mannie dials MYCROFTXXX, but I could be wrong on the number of null Xs). As the conspiracy grows they run out of memorable word codes and have to start using random codes.
 Phone Word / int_4505668c
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1.0
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 The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
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Phone Word / int_4505668c
 Phone Word / int_4fd9904a
type
Phone Word
 Phone Word / int_4fd9904a
comment
Not used to make a call, but in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix the visitor entrance to the Ministry of Magic is hidden in what appears to be a telephone booth with a broken phone. Dialing 62442 (MAGIC) summons a voice that welcomes you to the Ministry and opens the way in.
 Phone Word / int_4fd9904a
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1.0
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 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
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Phone Word / int_4fd9904a
 Phone Word / int_5ce3fc86
type
Phone Word
 Phone Word / int_5ce3fc86
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In Soul Eater, the number to call Lord Death is 42-42-564 (shini-shini-goroshi, "death-death-murder"). You don't actually use a phone, though, you write on the fog condensed on a mirror.
 Phone Word / int_5ce3fc86
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1.0
 Phone Word / int_5ce3fc86
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 Soul Eater (Manga)
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Phone Word / int_5ce3fc86
 Phone Word / int_64ff8c3
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Phone Word
 Phone Word / int_64ff8c3
comment
The (possibly now defunct) CinemaSins hotline is 405-459-7466, or 405-459-SINN.
 Phone Word / int_64ff8c3
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1.0
 Phone Word / int_64ff8c3
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1.0
 CinemaSins (Web Video)
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Phone Word / int_64ff8c3
 Phone Word / int_82523872
type
Phone Word
 Phone Word / int_82523872
comment
Yato's phone number in Noragami is 080-0919-8100. This phone number spells ku(9)-i(1)-ku(9)-ya(8)-to(10), or "Quick Yato".
 Phone Word / int_82523872
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1.0
 Phone Word / int_82523872
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1.0
 Noragami (Manga)
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Phone Word / int_82523872
 Phone Word / int_aac942e5
type
Phone Word
 Phone Word / int_aac942e5
comment
The filmmakers of The Santa Clause got in a little bit of trouble when Scott sarcastically identifies a phone number on a piece of paper as 1-800-SPANK-ME, which turned out to be an actual phone sex hotline.
 Phone Word / int_aac942e5
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1.0
 Phone Word / int_aac942e5
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 The Santa Clause
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Phone Word / int_aac942e5
 Phone Word / int_acff8295
type
Phone Word
 Phone Word / int_acff8295
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In A Safe Place (1971), Noah tells Fred that when she was a kid, she used to come up with words based on the first two letters of her friends' phone numbers, like Plaza or Butterfield. She felt a connection with anyone who had the same word as herself. Fred's number starts with 64, so he comes up with Mirage.
 Phone Word / int_acff8295
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1.0
 Phone Word / int_acff8295
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 A Safe Place (1971)
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Phone Word / int_acff8295
 Phone Word / int_b0fc9724
type
Phone Word
 Phone Word / int_b0fc9724
comment
A Saturday Night Live Parody Commercial for a harassment agency's phone number is 1-800-HARASSS - "the extra "S" is for extra harassment."
 Phone Word / int_b0fc9724
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1.0
 Phone Word / int_b0fc9724
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 Saturday Night Live
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Phone Word / int_b0fc9724
 Phone Word / int_b445a53d
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Phone Word
 Phone Word / int_b445a53d
comment
A recurring skit on The Amanda Show parodied When Animals Attack and the other such shows Fox aired a lot of back in the late 90s and early 00s, with variations like When Old Ladies Attack or When Bradys Attack. Towards the end, Amanda would turn to the camera and encourage the viewers to dial an absurdly-long number, typically something like "1-500 I-JUST-SAW-THE-BRADY-BUNCH-ATTACK-SOME-PERSON-SO-NOW-I'M-CALLING-THIS-NUMBER-TO-REPORT-WHAT-I-SAW".
 Phone Word / int_b445a53d
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Phone Word / int_b445a53d
 Phone Word / int_c680d8f3
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Phone Word
 Phone Word / int_c680d8f3
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In Both Can Be True, Ash's phone number is 555-3265, the last four digits of which spell "DANK." Griffey is jealous because his number only spells "LAMP."
 Phone Word / int_c680d8f3
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 Both Can Be True
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Phone Word / int_c680d8f3
 Phone Word / int_cac20f89
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Phone Word
 Phone Word / int_cac20f89
comment
In the JAG episode 'Retreat, Hell', Mic Brumby (Trevor Goddard), a former officer of the Royal Australian Navy, starts a new firm in America that represents people suing the U. S. Navy. Commander Harmon Rabb (David James Elliott) jokes that Brumby's phone number is 1-800-SUE-NAVY.
 Phone Word / int_cac20f89
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Phone Word / int_cac20f89
 Phone Word / int_d99024a2
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Phone Word
 Phone Word / int_d99024a2
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Genesis employed this on the video for "Jesus He Knows Me". When Phil sang "Just call my toll-free number," the number 1-555-GEN-ESIS flashed on the screen. The screen graphics on the accompanying tour did this as well.
 Phone Word / int_d99024a2
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Phone Word / int_d99024a2
 Phone Word / int_df49d104
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Phone Word
 Phone Word / int_df49d104
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Millennium (1996) has a variation in the episode "522666." The villain of the piece, a mad bomber, always calls emergency services and punches in "5-2-2-6-6-6" before he sets off his bombs. When these numbers are switched out for letters, the result is "KABOOM."
 Phone Word / int_df49d104
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 Phone Word / int_df49d104
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 Millennium (1996)
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Phone Word / int_df49d104
 Phone Word / int_e1ec0e62
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Phone Word
 Phone Word / int_e1ec0e62
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Grand Theft Auto IV uses this for cheat codes (212-555-0227 generates a car, for example), as well as for the in-game music-identification company, 948(ZIT)-555-0100.
 Phone Word / int_e1ec0e62
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1.0
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Phone Word / int_e1ec0e62
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Phone Word
 Phone Word / int_e25322af
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Homestar Runner:
A fake advert in features Senor Cardgage Mortgage inviting you to "come along down and dial 555-55-55855-55-5-SENOR-MORT-GAGE-TODAY!"
Another fake advert displays 1-800-555-SBSINGS to order Strong Bad's music collection. This was changed from 1-800-BAD-SONG because the real owners of said number sent complaints.
 Phone Word / int_e25322af
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1.0
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Phone Word / int_e25322af
 Phone Word / int_e885c808
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Phone Word
 Phone Word / int_e885c808
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The King of Druidia (or a collect-call phone service)'s phone number in Spaceballs is 1-800-DRUIDIA.
 Phone Word / int_e885c808
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 Phone Word / int_e885c808
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Phone Word / int_e885c808
 Phone Word / int_ea4f62db
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Phone Word
 Phone Word / int_ea4f62db
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Family Guy: In a cutaway depicting Hitler having his own talk show, the announcer tells the viewer that they can get tickets to the show by calling 213-DU-WERDEST-EIN-KRANKENSCHWESTER-BRAUCHEN!
 Phone Word / int_ea4f62db
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1.0
 Phone Word / int_ea4f62db
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Phone Word / int_ea4f62db

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Phone Word
processingCategory2
Phone Tropes
 Licence to Kill / int_5ad19153
type
Phone Word
 Spaceballs / int_5ad19153
type
Phone Word
 Both Can Be True / int_5ad19153
type
Phone Word
 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix / int_5ad19153
type
Phone Word
 Micro Adventure / int_5ad19153
type
Phone Word
 Noragami (Manga) / int_5ad19153
type
Phone Word
 Soul Eater (Manga) / int_5ad19153
type
Phone Word
 We Can't Dance (Music) / int_5ad19153
type
Phone Word
 The Best Show (Radio) / int_5ad19153
type
Phone Word
 Fighting Simulator (Roleplay) / int_5ad19153
type
Phone Word
 Scrubs / int_5ad19153
type
Phone Word
 Octodad (Video Game) / int_5ad19153
type
Phone Word
 Saints Row (Video Game) / int_5ad19153
type
Phone Word
 Homestar Runner (Web Animation) / int_5ad19153
type
Phone Word
 CinemaSins (Web Video) / int_5ad19153
type
Phone Word
 Daffy Duck's Quackbusters / int_5ad19153
type
Phone Word
 The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress / int_5ad19153
type
Phone Word