After 12 rings with no answer I put the receiver back down.

After thirty rings, he had no choice but to pick it up.

If he does not hear the phone after three rings, a red light flashes.

After a dozen rings he moved, then jumped at the phone.

After two rings, the phone was picked up on the other end.

So imagine my surprise when, after just 270 rings, a real person came on the line.

The telephone was answered after three rings at the other end.

If he didn't answer after three rings, she would put it down.

The average phone call, we are told, is answered after four rings.

Could be a wrong number, but they would stop after twenty rings.