this post was submitted on 05 Sep 2026
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I moved into a house built in the 1950s in the north eastern US and this outlet is on the back of the house but I can't find anything like it searching online. If anyone knows what it is I'd greatly appreciate the enlightenment!

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[–] Godnroc@lemmy.world 164 points 2 days ago (4 children)

OH, that's the name and not the current rating! Pick up there phone, it's fucking Zeus!

[–] boonhet@sopuli.xyz 25 points 1 day ago (1 children)

505A telephone jack

current rating

That would make for an amusing phone... Once I guess

[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago

When Thor is calling.

[–] Denvil@piefed.world 27 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Back in my day, our phones were powered by the wrath of Zeus. We had to anger him BOTH WAYS to get some lightning to call and hang up.

[–] Zedd_Prophecy@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I ran across 18v AC of his wrath stripping one side of the phone wire with my teeth on a scheme to capture and store \ use ring voltage to power devices. Free electricity you know.

[–] Nouvellalia@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago

Pocketbook empty
Can't afford a cell
Looking for juice
Found a bottomless well
No stripper, no crimps
Used teeth on the shell
Now my heart's all aflutter
With the touch of Ma Bell

[–] ZombieCyborgFromOuterSpace@piefed.ca 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I don't understand the reference. Can you please explain?

[–] prenatal_confusion@feddit.org 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Zeus is the Greek good of thunder and lightning.

[–] ZombieCyborgFromOuterSpace@piefed.ca 3 points 1 day ago (3 children)

lol! Gee, thanks. 😂

No, I meant with the phones. What's the relation?

Was that like some reference from an ad? A movie?

[–] Denvil@piefed.world 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The jokes about the phone connection and Zeus is that 505A can be read as 505 amps, an electrical measurement for current. 505 amps is quite a lot, especially in the context of being for a phone. 505 amps is about equivalent to 20 1200 watt microwaves running at the same time (120V).

Aaaah OK. Thank you for the explanation! 😊

I might have mixed up threads to your comment :) what reference were you reffering to?

[–] VonReposti@feddit.dk 10 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Now I'm imagining a mad scientist hooking some weird antenna up to a telephone while screaming something about jigawatts.

[–] stoicmaverick@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Was that ever a valid pronunciation of gigawatts, or did somebody admit that it was a misreading of the printed word?

[–] modus@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I frequently say jigawatts and jigabytes ironically. But probably often enough that it's no longer ironic.

[–] wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz 2 points 20 hours ago

But probably often enough that it's no longer ironic

Yeah that's how they getcha

[–] Wispy2891@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

In my country we say jigawatts (and jigabytes, jif, and so on)

[–] wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz 1 points 20 hours ago

I can't believe you say jigabytes! Don't you know know jibibytes are more precise?!?

[–] mika_mika@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Fellow Americans, why are we at war with Iran for no reason when this country exists?

[–] stoicmaverick@lemmy.world 3 points 21 hours ago

Be gentle to the Australians. It is a silly place full of horrors beyond your reckoning, and dangerous animals too.

[–] ImgurRefugee114@reddthat.com 21 points 1 day ago

I got a really good laugh out of this thank you