Hot For Words: The Etymology of "Phreak"

Here is a somebody who really knows how to combine two potentially boring, geeky topics -- phreaking and etymology -- and make it interesting:

 

If only I had such natural, um, talents.

While I quibble with her statement that the phrase "phone phreaking" is redundant, she does an admirable job getting her facts right.  It does appear that the term "phreak" showed up in 1971, apparently introduced by Ron Rosenbaum in his Esquire article.  Prior to that phone phreaks called themselves "phone freaks."  Indeed, there was a half-joking organization of phone phreaks called "Phone Freaks of America" (PFA), later expanded to "Phone Freaks International" (PFI).  And she correctly avoids the common mistake of attributing discovery of the 2600 Hz Captain Crunch whistle to John Draper, since it was around long before he appropriated it as his nom de phreak. Nice work, Marina!

Comments

[NormZimon]

I believe that CEO was Steve Wozinak (the Woz) of Apple computer. I owned a blue box built by the Woz. Of course, it was digital.

Norm

[Kenton A. Hoover]

I don't think it's clear that her talents are all that natural...