Telephony
In telephone systems, a party line (sometimes multiparty line) is an arrangement in which two or more end user instruments, usually telephones, are connected to the same loop. Party lines remain primarily in rural areas where local loops are long. Privacy is limited and congestion often occurs.
If selective ringing is not used, individual users may be alerted by different ringing signals, such as a different number of rings or a different combination of long and short rings. While this was mostly abandoned with the party line, it has returned as a feature for different people or devices within each home.
Source: from Federal Standard 1037C
Politics
In politics, the party line is an English language euphemism for a political party's canon agenda, and for elements specific the party's partisanship. The common phrase "toeing the party line" describes a person who speaks in a manner that conforms to a political party's agenda.
|
