Mail/Phone It In

Pronunciation: /meɪl/foʊn ɪt ɪn/

Definitions of mail/phone it in

noun a person's postal or electronic correspondence

Example Sentences

A1 I always mail it in when it comes to filling out paperwork.

A2 She tends to phone it in when it comes to group projects.

B1 The employee's lack of effort was evident as he continued to mail it in at work.

B2 The singer received criticism for phoning it in during her live performance.

C1 The director was accused of constantly mailing it in and not putting in the effort required for the film.

C2 The author's latest book was criticized for feeling like he was just phoning it in and not putting his usual effort into the writing.

verb to complete a task with minimal effort or enthusiasm, often using email or phone communication

Example Sentences

A1 I will mail in my homework assignment.

A2 She always phones in her order for pizza.

B1 He tends to mail in his work instead of putting in effort.

B2 The employee decided to phone in sick and take the day off.

C1 The author seemed to just mail in the latest book without much thought.

C2 The team knew they couldn't phone it in if they wanted to win the championship.

Examples of mail/phone it in in a Sentence

formal The professor was disappointed with the student's presentation, commenting that it seemed like they tried to mail it in.

informal I was so tired this morning, I just had to phone in my work for the day.

slang I can't believe he just mailed in his performance like that.

figurative She didn't put much effort into the project, it was like she just phoned it in.

Grammatical Forms of mail/phone it in

• past tense: mailed/ phoned it in
• plural: mails/ phones it in
• comparative: more mailed/ phoned it in
• superlative: most mailed/ phoned it in
• present tense: mail/ phone it in
• future tense: will mail/ phone it in
• perfect tense: have mailed/ phoned it in
• continuous tense: is mailing/ phoning it in
• singular: mails/ phones it in
• positive degree: mail/ phone it in
• infinitive: to mail/ phone it in
• gerund: mailing/ phoning it in
• participle: mailed/ phoned it in

Origin and Evolution of mail/phone it in

First Known Use: 1980 year

Language of Origin: English

Story behind the word: The phrase 'mail/phone it in' originated in the United States as a colloquial expression.

Evolution of the word: Originally used in a literal sense to mean sending something through the mail or over the phone, the phrase has evolved to also mean doing something with minimal effort or enthusiasm, often implying a lack of dedication or commitment.