telnetting/netcatting into a DNS server?

[Mohan Singh]

Whenever I need to test a mail/ssh/web server, I usually just telnet or nc
into the appropriate port, i.e.:

   $ echo "GET / " |nc -v yahoo.com 80

   $ nc -v localhost 22
   Connection to localhost 22 port [tcp/ssh] succeeded!
   SSH-1.99-OpenSSH_4.2

How would I connect to a nameserver and talk to it so I can know it is
working? I get as far as connecting to the port, but I don't know how to
make it send back anything meaningful.