• DarkSirrush@piefed.ca
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    2 days ago

    Its a word you can spell using the valid letters in the T9 keyboard format.

    Back in the day, cellphones only had number keys, and the alphabet was split up to put 3-4 letters on each number (when texting, you would rapidly press the number to cycle though the digits assigned to each button.

    So, when doing a phone number with an easy to remember phrase (eg 512-fuckyou), you would press the number key that the letter was assigned to. Because it was a phone call, which only numbers are valid for, you would only press the number key once, instead of cycling through the available digits on that key, which turns fuckyou into 3625968.

    • reptar@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      2 days ago

      It predates T9 though, unless I’ve misinterpreted what T9 means.

      Predates ‘texting’ and feel phones.