rubbering

English

Etymology

rubber + -ing

Verb

rubbering

  1. present participle of rubber

Noun

rubbering (uncountable)

  1. rubbernecking
  2. eavesdropping on a telephone conversation
    • 2003, Kline, R. Resisting Consumer Technology in Rural America: The Telephone and Electrification. In N. Oudshoorn & T. Pinch (Eds.), How Users Matter: The Co-Construction of Users and Technology (pp. 51–66). MIT Press., p. 54
      In 1907, a North Dakota newspaper described the party-line culture of eavesdropping, or rubbering as it was also called at the time, as follows: Usually when a country subscriber rings anyone up several of his neighbors immediately butt in—not to talk—just listen...

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