telly tennis

English

Alternative forms

• tele-tennis, teletennis

Etymology

From telly + tennis, the game having a superficial resemblance to tennis.

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Noun

telly tennis (uncountable)

1. (slang, video games, UK, Australia) The game of Pong, or any TV game closely based on it.
   • 1976, Elaine Feinstein, The ecstasy of Dr Miriam Garner, page 101:

     The monitored heart-rate on a small screen, like a hesitant green version of the telly tennis he'd played in pubs or railway stations.

   • 1979 October 4, New Scientist, volume 84, number 1175, page 48:

     Hooked on telly tennis, or football? We've been carrying out some in-depth testing of (playing with) a TV games unit for you to build.

   • 1992, Mudrooroo (Colin Johnson), Long live Sandawara, page 61:

     He finds them sitting at a small table holding a horizontal video tube and stands watching them play telly tennis.