give me the 411 on the 411?

[clareybeary]

i suspect someone here has heard of the common phrase "give me the 411 (or 114?)" after anticipating some juicy news. unfortunately this is not listed in my idiom dictionary. so, just wondered whether anyone knows of its derivation? does it have anything to do with criminology? i dont know why, but i remember a detective asking his colleauge for the 411 at a crime scene one day on a tv show. but i could be wrong. possibly. anyway, if anyone knows, that would be great. it's been bugging me for ages. clare

[theboss346]

give me the 411,is give me the information.Like dial 411if you are looking for information.

[clareybeary]

thanks, although i know what it the actual phrase means (i use it sometimes) lol. just curious on its derivation? 411 is that the american operator?

[theboss346]

its supposed to be the universal phone number for information,but i wonder if it is.

[clareybeary]

i dont think so. it's 118118 in the UK. i guess it is the american operator.
thank-you. :)

[avoss]

wasnt 118 yesterday?









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[tboo]

411 is the American telephone directory enquiry service. So you would ring it for information. 411 means information in slang.