Hour 3: The First Joke in the Phone Book | 11-21-25

It’s “Ventilation Friday,” where host Lionel (the “Lion of the English language”) encourages guests to “let it go, letting it ruminate, letting letting letting the the the subject matter just extravate ooze”. This episode dives into deep nostalgia, exploring bygone communication like candlestick phones, party lines, and three-digit phone numbers with a letter (e.g., 128J). Hear incredible stories of cheating the old payphone system for limitless calls and reminisce about phone books and joke lines. A major “gripe is pronunciation”, as Lionel—a self-professed logophile—and callers debate anglicizing words like “Tijuana” and “cotton”. Finally, the show features a passionate “expatiation” on the changing face of Broadway, lamenting the loss of in-person auditions, celebrating legends like Jan Maxwell and mourning the decline of elegance in theater. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices