Dialing Up Things

Why are commentators still talking about things being “dialed up?”  On sports coverage, they are always saying things like “the defensive coach is dialing up a blitz package.”  In politics, they say the candidate is “dialing up negative ads against his opponent.”

Dial tones went out in the late fifties and early sixties.  I can just barely remember rotary phones where you actually “dialed up” the number of the person you wanted.  Push buttons and now digital have replaced dialing completely.  I guess “dialing” it up just sounds better than “pushing” it up but still it must be confusing to young folks when someone comments that this or that is being dialed up.

 

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This and That

Can you rant without raving?  And, what exactly, is raving?

Big, bold headline:  WHO KILLED JFK?  When you go to the article, guess what?  “Nobody seems to know for sure…” is how it starts out.  Another example.  WHO WILL WIN THE 2013 SUPERBOWL?  “It could be any one of a number of teams, and of course there could always be a surprise….”