Phrase Origin: "phoned it in" ?

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What is the origin of the phrase "Phoned it in"? Ala:

The Curse of the Jade Scorpion feels like Allen phoned it in. It has all the trappings of a Woody Allen film but minus the sharp wit, refreshing style and appealing characters.

It didn't feel like Opening Day on Sunday. Sure, the official first game of the season took place, but so did four preseason games and another contest where the Rangers phoned it in against their Oklahoma City affiliate.

When Martin didn't want to act, he showed up anyway and phoned it in on stuff like the James Bond wannabe The Silencers.

Director Brett Ratner simply lets his stars strut their stuff, so it hardly matters that the plot is disposable, or that his direction is so bland he could've phoned it in from a Jacuzzi.

― Scott Curilli, Wednesday, 12 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Is it just me or is Scott kind of phoning this question in?

― Tracer Hand, Wednesday, 12 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Is it just me or did Tracer just phone that gag in?

― Dan Perry, Wednesday, 12 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

* click *

― Tracer Hand, Wednesday, 12 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Dan wins.

Umm, Scott, are you asking for like an actual phrase-coinage origin or just a sense of what it refers to? Because if it's the latter the jacuzzi usage should be sort of a clue. (E.g. you are so little invested in a project that it's as if you couldn't even be bothered to come in person.)

(Actually though I can think of quite a few actors who would be strikingly better if they literally phoned it in, either via a speakerphone placed appropriately in-frame or better yet a film double whose dialogue is looped over with bored-sounding telephone- staticky actor-lines) (preferably with jacuzzi and champagne-glass- clinking audible in the background) ("Hey, baby, you're spilling all over me ... what? Yeah, okay, fine, 'You'll never get away with this, Sanchez.'")

― nabisco%%, Wednesday, 12 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

is that sanchez from bangbus, nabisco?

― mark s, Wednesday, 12 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Thank you, Mark: I love coming across porn references I honestly don't follow (as opposed to "err, I dunno, maybe I just heard someone talking about it somplace").

― nabisco%%, Thursday, 13 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I believe the phrase comes from radio plays in the thirties - especially serialised ones where the star would be dead drunk and would literally phone in his performance. I'm sure I remember reading this in "The Golden Age Of Radio".

― Pete, Thursday, 13 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

one year passes...

Do any of you know the origin of the phrase 'losing ones rag'?

Please?

― Tim (Tim), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 14:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Its Nordic. You wouldnt understand.

― Spinktor the Unmerciful (mawill5), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 14:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh! Now I wish I was Nordic so I could understand.

― Tim (Tim), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 14:50 (twenty-one years ago)

I really have no clue...just felt compelled to answer with something.

― Spinktor the Unmerciful (mawill5), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 14:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Thanks! That's very decent of you.

― Tim (Tim), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 14:51 (twenty-one years ago)

And so it goes.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 14:53 (twenty-one years ago)

I've never even heard of that expression!

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 14:53 (twenty-one years ago)

The Dictionary of Contemporary Slang says this expression is of "obscure origin" but rag "...has meant variously one's tongue, a flag, to tease, to bluster or rage, but none of these senses can be definitively linked to the modern phrase."

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 14:55 (twenty-one years ago)

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