Question of the Day #641

Now, however, we engineers couldn’t just “phone it in” anymore.

From the 20th paragraph of this article at the Electronic Engineering Journal.

上記の文で、phone it inの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "phone it in" mean?

答えは、コメントに書いてください。
Write your answer in the Comments.

明日、ここに答えを書きます。
I will add the answer and other remarks here tomorrow.

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

〈比喩〉熱心でない態度で行う、おざなりにする、投げやりな態度で行う

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

To perform a role or duty in a halfhearted, disinterested, and unprofessional manner. In this usage, noun or pronoun can be used between "phone" and "in," especially "it."

語源

Grammaristによると、

Phone it inはアメリカのイディオムで、もともと舞台や演技と関係があったようです。1930年代初め頃、舞台役者の間で「あまりにも小さな役なので舞台に立たずに電話で仕事ができる」というジョークから。

Etymology

According to Grammarist,

The expression phone it in is American, and seems to have originally been connected to the theater and acting. During the early 1930s, a popular joke among theater actors alluded to having a role that was so small it was possible to call on the phone, rather than appear on the stage in person.

Examples

• I really do work on being in the moment, and I definitely don’t phone it in. (The Las Vegas Weekly)
• Your recommendation, the network that you build, and also your integrity — these are all reasons not to phone it in. (Forbes Magazine)
• One of the actors in the play was just phoning it in.
• Everyone phones it in on the morning after a staff party, so don't worry if you don't feel able to give this report your all.
• You can tell the actor is phoning it in—I'm sure he got a good paycheck for the voiceover, but you'd think he would try a little bit harder.

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