Speed dial is a phone feature that stores a number under a single button or a single digit, so you can call someone without typing the whole number. You press and hold 1, and it rings your mother.

Speed dial Speed dial is a phone feature是一種手機（或電話）的功能 that stores a number under a single button or a single digit把一個號碼存在一個按鍵或一個數字底下， so you can call someone without typing the whole number讓你不用打完整個號碼就能打給對方。You press and hold 1你按住1， and it rings your mother就會打給你媽媽。

It comes from the age of landlines and early mobile phones, when numbers had to be typed by hand every time — so the feature saved real trouble. Today's smartphones make it nearly pointless (you tap a face, or say a name), and younger people may only half-know the term.

It comes from the age of landlines and early mobile phones它是從家用電話和早期手機的年代來的， when numbers had to be typed by hand every time那個年代每次都要用手打完整個號碼 — so the feature saved real trouble所以這個功能真的省了不少麻煩。Today's smartphones make it nearly pointless現在的智慧型手機讓這個功能幾乎沒有意義了 (you tap a face, or say a name你只要點一張臉，或說一個名字就好)， and younger people may only half-know the term年輕人可能對這個詞只是一知半解。

It works as a noun — 'put me on speed dial', 'she's number 3 on my speed dial' — and as a verb, usually hyphenated: 'he speed-dialled his lawyer'. British spelling doubles the l (speed-dialled), American does not (speed-dialed).

It works as a noun它可以當名詞用 — 'put me on speed dial', 'she's number 3 on my speed dial' 'put me on speed dial'、'she's number 3 on my speed dial' — and as a verb, usually hyphenated也可以當動詞用，通常會加連字號：'he speed-dialled his lawyer' 'he speed-dialled his lawyer'。British spelling doubles the l英式拼法會把l重複兩次 (speed-dialled)（speed-dialled) ， American does not美式拼法不會 (speed-dialed)（speed-dialed)。

The phrase has outlived the technology as an idiom. 'You're on my speed dial' now means 'you are one of the few people I call all the time, you matter'. And 'he has the White House on speed dial' means he has powerful friends he can reach instantly — nobody imagines an actual button. That figurative use is where you are most likely to meet it now.

The phrase has outlived the technology as an idiom這個說法已經比它原本的技術活得更久，變成了一個慣用語。'You're on my speed dial' now means 'You're on my speed dial'現在的意思是 'you are one of the few people I call all the time, you matter'「你是我一直會打電話給的少數幾個人之一，你對我很重要」。And 'he has the White House on speed dial'而'he has the White House on speed dial' means he has powerful friends he can reach instantly意思是他有隨時聯絡得上的有力朋友 — nobody imagines an actual button沒有人會真的想到有一個按鍵。That figurative use這種比喻的用法 is where you are most likely to meet it now就是你現在最有可能遇到的用法。

Note also that 'dial' itself is a fossil: it means the round face of an old telephone that you turned with your finger. We still 'dial' numbers on phones that have no dial at all.

Note also that 'dial' itself is a fossil另外要注意，'dial'這個字本身就是個化石字：it means the round face of an old telephone它原本指的是舊式電話上那個圓形的轉盤 that you turned with your finger你會用手指去轉動它。We still 'dial' numbers我們現在還是會說「dial」一個號碼 on phones that have no dial at all即使手機根本沒有那個轉盤。