Knowing The Code In Beeper Land

Got a beeper? Then you may know it’s hard sometimes to get your message across to a friend.

But beeper users have found a way around the limited space available on a pager display screen by developing a number of codes that make numbers speak about as loudly as words.

While each group of pager users has developed a few numerical code words, a number of number combinations have become accepted as standard. Here are a few examples:

0001000: I’m feeling mighty alone now.

0007: I’ve got a secret

099: I’ve got something to tell you.

1: You da man.

10: You’re perfect.

11: You’re perfecter.

1-8: I ate.

121: I need to talk to you alone.

10-2-1: It’s possible, there’s a chance.

1776: You’re revolting.

100-2-1: The odds are against you.

4: Let’s play golf

54321: I’m ready to explode.

911: This is a big emergency, call now.

A number of codes are created from how the numbers look when turned upside down.

710: I’m out of gas.

07734: hello

87: I’m late

04-04-04: happy holidays.