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Anonymous Posted 16 years ago
Letter Writing

On and over

what is the difference between speak "on" the phone and "over" the phone? Thanks.
  

Top answer

"Over the phone" is old fashioned, but it was once common. " "I talked to her over the phone" indicates the phone is the medium of communication being used. " "I just talked to her on the phone.

— Avangi

  • "Over the phone" is old fashioned, but it was once common.
  • " "I talked to her over the phone" indicates the phone is the medium of communication being used.
  • " "I just talked to her on the phone.
  • " This is the only one I can think of where both prepositions sound okay.
  • I'd say that both versions are fixed expressions.
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1 Answers
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"Over the phone" is old fashioned, but it was once common. In fact, there's a song written in around 1908 called "Hello, My Baby," with the line "I talk to her across the telephone."
"I talked to her over the phone" indicates the phone is the medium of communication being used.
"Pipe down, I'm on the phone!" describes my condition, like, "Drive slow, I'm pregnant."

"I jus
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