APAD: phone it in

Definition

   someone's lack of effort or enthusiasm in performing a task

 

Examples

   1) Dennis used to be a dedicated employee, but lately, he's been phoning it

      in at work.

 

   2) Instead of preparing a proper meal, I just phoned it in and ordered takeout.

 

Etymology

   It originated in the context of actors delivering their lines over the phone

   instead of being physically present on stage.

 

Synonyms

   mail it in, half-hearted effort

 

- englishdaily626.com [edited]

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Long before Covid, I had accepted that grinding away at a software job was not

exact the same as practicing computer programming. Gone was the illusion that

success was the byproduct of my single-minded strive toward the perfection of

the art. During the pandemic, we all phoned it in from home and that was when I

started quiet-quitting. Going back to office two years later, I was ready.