ring off the hook

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

---

---

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