An irrational fear of answering the phone. The fear arises from anxieties as to whom may be calling (a former spouse, a spurned lover, a tax collector or other creditor, an enraged garage mechanic, a parent) - why they may be calling (to give the callee a very hard time, belittle them, issue threats) - and the psychology of the conversation (false promises leading to humiliation, being made to look a pratt). In extreme cases someone who is phonephobic may hide in the house as the phone rings, desperately trying to ignore it, while plagued by remote telephonic demons.