telly tennis

noun

The game of Pong, or any TV game closely based on it.

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Meanings

nountelly tennis (uncountable)

alternative tele-tennis · alternative teletennis

  1. AustraliaUKslanguncountablevideo gamesThe game of Pong, or any TV game closely based on it.

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

    1992, Mudrooroo (Colin Johnson), Long live Sandawara, page 61
    2 more examples

    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.

    1976, Elaine Feinstein, The ecstasy of Dr Miriam Garner, page 101

    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.

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

Origin

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

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

telly tennis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/telly%20tennis

MLA

“telly tennis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/telly%20tennis. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “telly tennis,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/telly%20tennis.

Source: telly tennis on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.