OK! Enough Seriousness. The telephone industry, like other human endeavors, produced many humorous articles and stories throughout its long history. Although most of them are lost forever, a few are still around. Once in a while, a particularly good one comes up that deserves to be shared with our visitors. Thus, our annual April Fool's offering.
This little corner of the Internet is a collection of past April Fool's offerings that appeared on the web site. Could the writers imagine what would eventually happen to their works? Enjoy!
Help us to unearth more! Suggestions and contributions are most welcome! Send them to
Device Slang
Bell System slang for some common parts and materials used in the industry.
Know your Terminology
The pair was the basis of the telephone network ever since the first metallic circuit was placed in service in 1880. Learn more about the terminology here.
Scan Contributed by Don House
The 2B Regrettor
The No. 2-B Regrettor is a light weight, compact unit, recently developed specifically for use by persons whose capacities for regretting are below normal, or who, due to various activities, have more to regret than can be conveniently handled without artificial aid.
Unknown source - circa 1937
How the Repeater Repeats
What did Western Electric have to say about that product that revolutionized long distance telephony? This year, our April Fools offering takes the reader back to 1917 when the vacuum tube was considered "bleeding edge" technology. Certainly, many scholarly treatises were written about the vacuum tube but the March issue of Western Electric News decided to take a more light-hearted approach. It my hope that you find it as much fun to read as I did.
How the Magnet Gets its Pull
Here's another April Fools offering that discusses the technology that was so important to the telephone industry. This time, the subject is the magnet. Read how a Highbrow is able to explain the study of "Bunkology and Phyzselics" to a Philistine from the production side of the business.
Building Better Butter
One little known operation in the famous Western Electric Hawthorne Works was the "Hawthorne Method of Scientific Buttermaking." Find out how Western Electric produced their line of quality dairy products. Who can predict what today's dairy products would have been like had Western Electric continued in this important line of research.
Macaroni Boring
If you think the Hawthorne Works Dairy Products Division was something, just wait until you read about their Macaroni Boring operation!
