English

Verb

phone in ‎(third-person singular simple present phones in, present participle phoning in, simple past and past participle phoned in)

1. To choose to deliver a message by telephone when etiquette demands the effort and respect conveyed by in person communication.
2. (idiomatic) To fulfill a responsibility with a minimum effort rather than the appropriate level of effort.
   • 1998 January 12, “It's All About Timing”, in TIME:

     But here was someone who could have been paid regally for just phoning it in for another year or two willing instead to throw that all away

   • 2000 April 26, Candy Sagon, “All Talk, No Cooking”, in Washington Post:

     his new show with Julia Child -- "Julia and Jacques Cooking At Home" on WMPT Channel 22 -- is a clever marketing stroke, but at times both of these veteran teachers seem to be phoning it in.

   • 2008 October 6, “Getting Offensive; How Will Voters Respond?”, in ABC GMA:

     And I think our campaign put a lot more on the line, frankly, to try to solve that problem than Senator Obama, who tried to phone it in.

3. To make an unseemly, timid performance; to be restrained and timid when bold action is called for.

Synonyms

• punt