hold the phone
hold the phone
1. verb To remain on the telephone line until someone is available to converse. Please hold the phone while I see if Mrs. Smith is available.
2. expression Wait; stop. Whoa, hold the phone—Jack and Jamie are dating now? Hold the phone, Rod thinks he has a solution.
See also: hold, phone
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
Hold the phone.
1. and Hold the wire(, please).; Hold, please.; Hold the line(, please).; Hold the phone(, please).; Please hold. Fig. Please wait on the telephone and do not hang up. (A phrase in use before telephone "hold" circuitry was in wide use.) Bill: Hold the wire, please. (Turning to Tom) Tom, the phone's for you. Tom: Be right there. Rachel: Do you wish to speak to Mr. Jones or Mr. Franklin? Henry: Jones. Rachel: Thank you. Hold the line, please. Sue: Good afternoon, Acme Motors, hold please. Bill (hanging up): That makes me so mad!
2. Fig. Wait just a minute.; Don't rush into something. Hold the phone! Let's think about it a little longer. Hold the phone. I just had another idea.
See also: hold, phone
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
hold the phone
Stop what one is doing, as in Hold the phone! There's no sense in continuing this argument. This expression is often put as an imperative, as in the example. [Colloquial; second half of 1900s] Also see hold everything.
See also: hold, phone
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Hold the phone!
exclam. Wait just a minute! Just a minute! Hold the phone!
See also: hold
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
hold the phone
Slang To stop doing what one is engaged in doing. Often used in the imperative: Hold the phone! Let's end this argument.
See also: hold, phone
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.
- Hold the phone!
- please hold
- hold, please
- hold the wire
- dead-tree edition
- dead-tree format
- for hire
- hire
- on hire
- at your service