Man the phones meaning in English
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Definition
to man the phones: to answer the phones
I am going to lunch, can you man the phones for half an hour?
Examples
- "My responsibilities included training new recruits, as well as manning the phones and having direct customer contact."
- "Are you ready to man the phones with me?"
Exercise 1
At his last job, Trey was responsible for "manning the phones".
This means that he the phones.
This means that he the phones.
At his last job, Trey was responsible for "manning the phones".
This means that he operated the phones.
This means that he operated the phones.
operated: To "man" the phones means to answer them (and implies following up on any requests, enquiries or taking messages). The verb "to man" refers to the act of operating, using or handling a given appliance or object OR to supply manpower for something. For example, "to man the cannon" means to fire or operate the cannon, to "man the ship" means to supply the ship with men.
designed: To "design" something is to create it or execute it in an artistic or highly skilled manner. This is not what Trey means by "manning" the phones.
fixed: To "fix" something means to "mend" or "repair" it when it is broken. When Trey says that he manned the phones, he means that he answered phone calls and operated the telephones.
programmed: To "program" something means to enter a set of coded instructions that enables a machine to perform a desired sequence of operations. This is not what is meant by "manned the phones".
Exercise 2
Are you ready to man the phones with me? They've been ringing off the hook!
This could be rephrased: "Are you ready to ? They've been !"
This could be rephrased: "Are you ready to ? They've been !"
Are you ready to man the phones with me? They've been ringing off the hook!
This could be rephrased: "Are you ready to operate the phones 1? They've been ringing a lot 2!"
This could be rephrased: "Are you ready to operate the phones 1? They've been ringing a lot 2!"
1 operate the phones: This is the best choice here. "To man (a gun, the phones)" is to operate a piece of machinery or instrument. When Brian asks Edward to man the phones, he is asking Edward to answer the phones.
1 become a man: This is not the correct choice. Although Edward is in desperate need of a bit of testosterone, this isn't the meaning of the expression "to man the phones".
1 give me a phone call: This is not the correct choice. Brian is not asking Edward to call him, but rather to answer the phones.
1 earn your pay: This is not the correct choice. "To earn your pay" is an expression which describes the act of doing a job well enough to merit the money which is awarded to you. For example: "Today Dr. Chang treated 17 patients and saved 3 lives. She really earned her pay".
2 ringing a lot: This is the correct choice. If a phone is "ringing off the hook", then it is ringing a lot, or many calls are being received. Did you know: "off the hook" is also a slang expression which describes an event such as a party which is very fun!
2 very quiet: This is not the best choice. The expression "to ring off the hook" indicates just the opposite meaning.
2 making strange sounds: This is not the best choice. A telephone which is "ringing off the hook" is not making strange sounds, but rather ringing frequently.
2 malfunctioning: This is not the best choice. A telephone which is "ringing off the hook" is not malfunctioning!
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