hot line

n.

1. A direct and immediate telephone linkup, especially between heads of government, as for use in a crisis.
2. A telephone line that gives quick and direct access to a source of information or help: "This 24-hour hot line has . . . volunteers on duty to talk to callers about personal problems" (New York).

Name and address of an individual who has recently made a purchase, inquiry, or donation. The notion of what constitutes a "recent" transaction varies between marketers but usually is within a range of one to three months. Hotlines are rented (see list rental) at a premium rate ($5 to $20 per thousand additional), because these individuals are believed to be ready, willing, and able to buy. A poor response by hotline names is a strong indicator that the source list will not be a good performer. See also recency/frequency/monetary value.

A telephone line that gives quick and direct access to a source of information or help. For example, Our state has an AIDS hot line in every county. This term was originally (and is still) used for a direct link between heads of government for use during a crisis, but was quickly extended to wider applications. [1950s]

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Origin: 1955

In these days of sophisticated electronics and instant global satellite communication, it is hard to remember that a hotline was originally just an actual telephone line directly linking two parties so that it would be available round the clock for instant communication. The first such designated hotlines defended us against a Soviet air attack. A New York Times Magazine article in August 1955 explained that the Continental Air Defense Command included "twelve air divisions, tied in by 'hot line' communications with one another and with the Army, Navy and Civil Defense Administration. They are like a giant nerve system where a distant pinprick brings an instant reaction throughout the whole organism." In those early days, when most phones were black, the hotline would often be marked by a red telephone.

In 1963, one particular hotline became hot news. In the aftermath of the previous year's Cuban missile crisis, when miscommunication between the United States and the Soviet Union nearly led to war, the two sides established a telephone and teletype "hot line" between the White House and the Kremlin so the leaders of the two nations could talk at a moment's notice. That line was opened August 30, 1963. Before the year was over, business picked up on the idea; the British Overseas Airways Corporation announced a reservations hot line linking London and New York.

Nowadays hotline (usually spelled as one word) most often refers not to the telephone line itself but to a service available instantly by telephone. There are hotlines for problems like drug abuse and loneliness, as well as for advice on grammar and cooking turkeys. Many of these nowadays are called help lines (1980) or go by names describing the type of service, such as Kids' Line (1983), Parentline (1990), and High Society Sexline (1986).

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also hot line

n. a direct telephone line set up for a specific purpose, especially for use in emergencies or for communication between heads of government.

See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - hotline, direkte forbindelse

Français (French)
n. - ligne ouverte, permanence téléphonique, téléphone rouge

Deutsch (German)
n. - heißer Draht

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - τηλεφωνική γραμμή άμεσης σύνδεσης

Italiano (Italian)
linea diretta

Português (Portuguese)
n. - linha (f) de comunicação de emergência

Русский (Russian)
горячая линия

Español (Spanish)
n. - teléfono rojo

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - heta linjen

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
热线

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 熱線

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 핫라인, 전화 상담 서비스

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 緊急直通電話, 電話相談室, ホットライン

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮קו ישיר, טלפון אדום, קו תקשורת למצב חירום‬

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