phone paralysis
The complete inability to think or speak that some people get when their phone call is answered by someone other than the person they tried to ring.
They seem so stunned by the fact that someone they called might momentarily be away from their desk, that they had never thought of a way to deal with such an eventuality.
They seem so stunned by the fact that someone they called might momentarily be away from their desk, that they had never thought of a way to deal with such an eventuality.
John's colleague: "Hello, John Smith's phone.................Hello?
Caller: "......er, hi.......er........is John not there?...."
John's colleague: "No, he's not about right now, can I take a message or something?"
Caller: "Er....er....yeah, can you ask him to call James at Acme? He's got my number"
John's colleague: "Will do, thanks.........(hangs up).....Jeez that dude had real phone paralysis!
Caller: "......er, hi.......er........is John not there?...."
John's colleague: "No, he's not about right now, can I take a message or something?"
Caller: "Er....er....yeah, can you ask him to call James at Acme? He's got my number"
John's colleague: "Will do, thanks.........(hangs up).....Jeez that dude had real phone paralysis!
phone paralysis by Urban Englander June 20, 2009
Words you can keep
