collect call

Definition

A long-distance telephone call where the recipient agrees to pay for the charges instead of the caller. Often used when the caller had no access to a payphone or couldn't afford the call themselves.

Example Usage

When my car broke down, I made a collect call to my father to ask him to pick me up.

Origin

Developed in the early 20th century as telephone networks expanded; the practice formalized as long-distance charges became significant.

Fun Fact

The phrase 'You have a collect call from...' followed by the caller stating their name became iconic—callers would rush to say urgent information before the recipient decided whether to accept charges.

Source: Definition backfill (hailey)

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