ring off the hook

ring off the hook

Fig. [for a telephone] to ring incessantly and repeatedly. What a busy day! The telephone has been ringing off the hook all day long. The telephone has been ringing off the hook ever since the ad appeared in the paper.

See also: hook, ring

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ring off the hook  (American informal)

if your telephone rings off the hook, it rings a lot The box office phones were ringing off the hook all day.

See also: hook, ring

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ring off the hook

to receive an extremely large number of telephone calls The box office phones were ringing off the hook all day.

Etymology: based on the idea of having the telephone ring so much it causes the part you hold in your hand to fall off the part it rests on

See also: hook, ring