talk-backadj.n.

1933 B.B.C. Year-bk. 1934 402 The ‘talk back’ facilities need setting up to suit the particular conditions of studio, listening point, etc., whereby the person listening to the rehearsal may speak over a microphone circuit and by means of a loudspeaker give instructions to those rehearsing.

1959 H. Barnes Oceanogr. & Marine Biol. 197 During the descent instructions are always relayed from the lower laboratory to a man at the winch by a micro~phone and talk-back system, and particular care is taken when nearing the bottom.

1971 M. Lee Dying for Fun xxiii. 107 The sound radio producer..put down his talk~back key and said: ‘We won't start till you're ready.’

1982 J. Sherwood Shot in Arm xiii. 126 He pressed the talk-back key. ‘Anthea..could you make it a bit lighter and more informal?’

1957 Listener 11 July 53 Large numbers mean more widespread buildings and (in spite of a public address system, talkbacks, and so on) it is not always easy to get the people or things one wants as quickly as one wants them.

1962 A. Nisbett Technique Sound Studio vi. 107 The studio manager announces over the studio talk-back (which also goes to the recording room), ‘We'll be going ahead in ten seconds from…now!’

1979 Daily Tel. 23 Apr. 14/4 Next door again is the studio, with Robin Day, that morning's speaker and, between them, a girl wearing headphones who passes on the caller's name and location over the talk back from the cubicle.