Professional Documents
Culture Documents
To engage in a series of telephone calls with another person in which each time one party calls, the othe
r is notavailable to answer. Hi Mary, just leaving you another message. We've been playing a bit of p
hone tag today, huh?Just give me a call back whenever you get this, thanks!
phone tag
A series of telephone calls made between two people in which each time one party calls, the other is not
available toanswer. Hi Mary, just leaving you another message. We've had a bit of phone tag today,
huh? Just give me a call backwhenever you get this, thanks!
blow up (one's) phone
To call someone repeatedly and/or send someone a lot of text messages. A: "Hey, your phone keeps lig
hting up!" B:"Ugh, I wonder who's blowing up my phone." A: "It's fine, I just texted him a few times."
B: "More like 15 times! Stopblowing up his phone!"
be on the phone
To be talking on the telephone. The boss is on the phone right now, but I can tell her you stopped by.
hold the phone
1. verb To remain on the telephone line until someone is available to converse. Please hold the phone
while I see ifMrs. Smith is available.
2. expression Wait; stop. Whoa, hold the phone—Jack and Jamie are dating now? Hold the phone, Ro
d thinks he hasa solution.
phone (something) in
1. Literally, to make a telephone call in order to relay or transmit information to someone else. Make su
re you phonethe incident in immediately, or we could be held legally liable. We'll need to phone the
order in at least two weeks inadvance if we want to receive it on time.
2. To perform a role or duty in a halfhearted, disinterested, and unprofessional manner. Everyone phon
es it in on themorning after a staff party, so don't worry if you don't feel able to give this report you
r all. You can tell the actor isphoning it in—I'm sure he got a good paycheck for the voiceover, but yo
u'd think he could try a little bit harder.
phone (one) up
To call someone on the telephone. Here's my number—phone me up sometime, and we can go see a
movie orsomething. I have to phone someone up about the branches that blew down in our neighbor
hood overnight.
burner phone
A cell phone, usually prepaid, that one uses to avoid having their activities (often illicit or inappropriate
ones) traced tothem. The suspect's wife didn't know he had a second phone, so I bet it's a burner ph
one he used for drug deals.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
get on(to) the (tele)phone
and get on(to) the (telephone) extension
to pick up a telephone receiver to talk to someone or make a telephone call. I'll get onto the extension
and talk withFred. I'll get on the phone and call Fran right away.
Hold the phone.
1. and Hold the wire(, please).; Hold, please.; Hold the line(, please).; Hold the phone(, please).; Please
hold.Fig. Please wait on the telephone and do not hang up. (A phrase in use before telephone "hold" cir
cuitry was in wideuse.) Bill: Hold the wire, please. (Turning to Tom) Tom, the phone's for you. Tom: B
e right there. Rachel: Do you wishto speak to Mr. Jones or Mr. Franklin? Henry: Jones. Rachel: Thank
you. Hold the line, please. Sue: Good afternoon,Acme Motors, hold please. Bill (hanging up): That ma
kes me so mad!
2. Fig. Wait just a minute.; Don't rush into something. Hold the phone! Let's think about it a little longe
r. Hold thephone. I just had another idea.
*on the telephone
and *on the phone
Fig. speaking on the telephone. (*Typically: be ~; get ~.) She's on the phone but won't be long. Please t
ake a seatwhile I'm on the phone. Get on the phone and call him back immediately!
be on the ˈtelephone/ˈphone
1 be using the telephone: Mr Perkins is on the telephone but he’ll be with you in a moment. ♢ You’re
wanted (= somebodywants to speak to you) on the telephone.
2 (British English) have a telephone in your home or place of work: They live on a small island and are
not on the phone.
phone in
v.
1. To relay some information by telephone: I phoned in my credit card number so the company could
bill me directly.She couldn't go to the meeting, so she just phoned her report in using a speaker phon
e.
2. To perform something halfheartedly or carelessly without full concentration or passion: After playing
the same rolefor a year, the actor started to phone in his performances.
phone up
v.
To telephone someone or something: I didn't understand the contract, so I phoned up my lawyer for
help. She told herclient that she would phone him up after lunch to review what they had discussed.
Hold the phone!
exclam. Wait just a minute! Just a minute! Hold the phone!
talk on the big white phone
in. to vomit into a toilet. One more beer and I’m gonna have to go talk on the big white phone.
phone it in
To do something in a perfunctory way or with little interest: One of the actors in the play was just pho
ning it in.