Short for “teleprinter exchange,” telexes were messages transmitted over a global wire system by big, noisy machines that looked like typewriters. They were a forerunner to fax machines, but more sophisticated than telegrams, which had to be sent to a main telegraph office, translated from dots and dashes, then hand-delivered to the receiver. Telex machines were easily wired and not too expensive, so they were commonly found in offices that conducted international business.