Telephone Tag

What Does "Telephone Tag" Mean?

"Telephone tag" is an English idiom. It means "a situation in which two or more people repeatedly try to contact each other by phone but keep missing each other's calls."

Examples in Sentences

Here are three examples of the idiom "telephone tag" used in a sentence:

• I've been playing telephone tag with the client all morning, and we still haven't connected.
• Let's schedule a meeting instead of playing telephone tag.
• The endless rounds of telephone tag were becoming frustrating.

What Is an Idiom?

An idiom is a commonly used expression whose meaning does not relate to the literal meaning of its words. In other words, if you were to translate "Telephone Tag" word for word, there is no guarantee the translation would help you to understand the meaning.

An idiom often includes a cultural or historical context that makes it difficult for non-native English speakers to understand. A phrase is classified as an idiom when a direct translation of the words does not reveal the meaning. Most idioms rely on shared knowledge or experiences known only to a specific community.

A Quick Test

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