The Goods : The Annual Tie Simply Won’t Do : What does Dad want on his day? Sportswear and tools.

Father’s Day is coming up on June 19 and Dad doesn’t want a tie.

In fact, ties were at the bottom of the list, along with after-shave lotion and items for the car, in a recent Roper survey of current trends in Father’s Day gifts.

“We had assumed that ties were a big gift, but they aren’t--they are a dud,” says Paul Luthringer of MCI Telecommunications, which commissioned the survey.

What’s in for dads this year? Casual clothing is the front-runner at 27%. Sporting goods followed at 9%, and books or tools registered 5% on the gift-choice scale.

But because 26% of Americans surveyed said they had no idea what to buy, MCI decided to give them some help. By dialing (800) 203-DADS, consumers can hear gift ideas from a handful of top retailers.

Brooks Brothers, Brookstone, Nature Company, Radio Shack, Tiffany and Co. and Timberland are participating in the MCI Father’s Day Gift Idea Hotline.

Since the hot line was launched last month, up to 400 people a day have been dialing in, Luthringer says.

The callers hear a variety of recorded suggestions from the retailers they choose, ranging from a six-in-one wonder tool kit for $15 (Brookstone) to a reversible golf jacket for $135 (Brooks Brothers).

The hot line will run until Father’s Day, because the survey also showed that 6% of Americans wait until the very last minute to shop.

And it also gives MCI a chance to plug its 50% Father’s Day discount on domestic calls.

“Father’s Day really can’t touch Mother’s Day in terms of calling traffic,” Luthringer says. “We want to increase it.”

And what gift is he planning for his own Dad? “I’ll probably give him a tie.”