Telephone tag Meaning in English
expression
ˈtɛɫəˌfoʊn/ /ˈtæɡ
TEL-uh-fohn tag
tˈɛlɪfˌəʊn/ /tˈæɡ
TEL-ih-fohn tag
Definition
A situation where two people try to call each other by phone but keep missing each other's calls and have to keep trying.
Usage & Nuances
Informal, mostly used in North American English. Refers to repeated back-and-forth of missed calls, not literal tag game. Commonly said as 'playing telephone tag.' Can be used for calls at work or personally.
Spanish: cruce de llamadas - llamadas perdidas entre dos personasPortuguese (BR): telefone sem resposta - jogo de ligaçõesPortuguese (PT): telefone sem resposta - jogo do telefoneChinese (Simplified): 电话接龙（两人互相错过来电）Chinese (Traditional): 電話接龍（兩人互相錯過來電）Hindi: फ़ोन टैग - मिस्ड कॉल का सिलसिलाArabic: مطاردة هاتفية - تبادل مكالمات غير متجاوبةBengali: টেলিফোন ট্যাগ - ফোন ধরাছোঁয়ার খেলাRussian: телефонная догонялка - вечная игра в звонкиJapanese: 電話の行き違い - 電話のすれ違いVietnamese: trò đuổi bắt qua điện thoại - gọi mà không gặp nhauKorean: 전화 태그 - 계속 엇갈리는 전화Turkish: telefon yakalamaca - karşılıklı cevaplanmayan aramalarUrdu: ٹیلی فون ٹیگ - بار بار کال ملاناIndonesian: telepon tarik-ulur - saling tidak terhubung lewat telepon
Example Sentences
We played telephone tag all day and never spoke.
basic
I keep missing her calls—it's like telephone tag.
basic
Are we going to play telephone tag again?
basic
Sorry for the telephone tag—let's set a time to talk.
natural
We’ve been stuck in telephone tag for days—it’s getting frustrating!
natural
Let's end this telephone tag—can you just text me when you're free?
natural