Reg Aubry, as explained in ResearchBuzz News, has discovered undocumented Google syntax for searching the phonebook.
Not only can you search for starbucks, boston ma and get back two phonebook listings, but you can search phonebook: starbucks, boston ma and get all the phonebook listings. Best of all, you can search for phonebook: starbucks ma from the main Google page and get "about 99" results. Of course, "place, city state" isn't the only way to search. The Google features page lists lists seven.
If that's still not enough for you, you can combine these with rphonebook: for residential listings and bphonebook: for business listings for extra fun (try: rphonebook: sears ma, bphonebook: sears ma). (From ResearchBuzz reader EB.)
Thanks to Dave Beckett for the pointer.
Posted by Aaron Swartz on March 19, 2002 04:33 PM