phone, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

phone n.

1. (US prison) a makeshift communications system created by emptying a toilet.

2000

Other Side of the Wall: Prisoner’s Dict. July 🌐 Phone: In the SHU, the toilet may be bailed out and used to talk to other prisoners. As in ‘Hey Joe get on the phone.’.

2. (N.Z. prison) the equipment used to pass contraband between cells, landings or wings.

2001

D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 139/2: phone phone n. 1 the equipment and process employed by inmates to pass contraband between different cells, landings or wings [...] answer one’s phone to receive contraband sent by an inmate when face-to-face contact is not possible. on the phone to be in a position to send contraband to another inmate.

3. (N.Z. prison) the use of a pipe carrying a TV aerial wire between cells as a form of communication.

2001

D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 139/2: phone 2 the socket on the wall of a cell where the inmate's television (aerial) plugs in. [...] A pipe runs from the box up the wall of the cell and through the wall to the neighbouring cell. This pipe carries sound well, and inmates in adjoining cells may unplug their televisions and hold conversations with each other through the pipe .

SE in slang uses

In compounds

phone booth (n.) [supposed resemblance]

(US) a double-bass.

1935

Charleston (WV) Daily Mail 27 June 8/8: I knew a ‘snake charmer’ is an oboe, a ‘wood pile’ a xylophone, ‘phone booth’ a bass fiddle and ‘African harp’ a banjo.

phone card (n.)

(N.Z. prison) a M?ori prison officer criticised for their seeming bias in favour of white inmates.

2001

D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 139/2: phone card n. a M?ori prison officer seen by M?ori inmates [...] to treat P?keh? inmates more fairly and generously than M?ori inmates.

phone freak (n.) (also phone phreak) [-freak sfx]

1. (US) a person who uses special equipment to obtain free calls from the telephone system.

1971		R. Rosenbaum in Esquire Oct. 222/1: Independent phone companies [...] have always been favorites with phone phreaks.
1976		N.Y. Times 18 Jan. 37: The difficulty that so-called ‘phone phreaks’ have in placing long-distance calls without paying toll charges by using devices that imitate the phone system’s internal tone signals.

2. a client who arranges to phone up a prostitute and listen while she runs through a pornographic monologue and he masturbates.

1974

Oui mag. Mar.

3. (US) one who makes obscene phonecalls for sexual arousal.

2003

J. Ellroy ‘Stephanie’ in Destination: Morgue! (2004) 60: The detectives [...] grilled known phone freaks.

phone ho (n.) [ho n.¹ (2)]

(US black) a woman, not necessarily a working prostitute, who offers ‘telephone sex’ to credit-card paying clients.

1999

Sasha ‘Love Bites’ column on Eye weekly 19 Aug. 🌐 ‘When I was a phone ho,’ says Lavendar, ‘we were absolutely not permitted to pretend we were under 18. We were monitored. Everyone is. You never know who’s calling to check up on you.’.

In phrases

hold the phone (v.) [telephone imagery]

(US) to wait, to delay, to ‘hang on’; esp. as imper. hold the phone!

1975		E. Torres Carlito’s Way 86: Hold the fuckin’ phone! Rocco what are we gonna do?
1989		P. Munro Sl. U. 109: Hold the phone, I’ll be there in a minute.
1990		S. Morgan Homeboy 73: Hold the phone, what’s this?
2004		E. Weiner Drop Dead, My Lovely (2005) 80: Hold the phone, sister —.
2010		Codella and Bennett Alphaville (2011) 6: My mouth goes dry. Hold the phone, Time to focus.

phone’s off the hook

(US prison) a warning that a guard is listening.

2000

Other Side of the Wall: Prisoner’s Dict. July 🌐 Phones Off The Hook: The guard is listening.