I still think that saying applies to regular phones with buttons no? - Zulema ❧ spicy cocoa tart

Or, "he just mailed it in." You know they've never used post before. - chrisofspades

He just smoke-signaled it in. - Morton Fox

Zulema, yes, but they didn't actually use a dial, unless it was an app. Phoning it in would be better. ;) - Gimminy

I've still got some radios that have to be 'dialed in', [edit: though we say 'tuned in', weird]. ;) - Gimminy

I can't recall ever hearing somebody say it that way. I'm use to "phoned it in". Maybe it's regional. I've heard "dialed it in" or "dialed in" used to mean got everything just right, as in turning in a radio station... but I guess yeah, that's obsolete too... - Ken Sheppardson

I, like Zulema, think they both still apply. The point of the quip is that the person did not show up, focus fully, give it their all, etc. They merely sent along information much as one would do in a phone call, letter, or email. /smarty pants rant - Lisa | #TeamMonique from Android

I just Siri'd it in. - Tinfoil 2.0

PS: 'Twas referring to phone it in. I agree with Ken on the use of dialed it in. - Lisa | #TeamMonique from Android

Nice, LogEx. :) - Lisa | #TeamMonique from Android

well if we can say "..here the kids" , then they have a right to " just dialed it in" :)- - Peter Dawson

.....jus saying .. LOL - Peter Dawson

I just FriendFeeded it in yesterday, folks. Not sorry. - Stephen Mack #TeamMomo

No (The Next) generation escapes homophonic typos, Peter, no won. - Micah from FFHound(roid)!

Now I want wontons. - Micah from FFHound(roid)!

I just capacitanced-touched in this comment. - Micah from FFHound(roid)!

Mailed it in? or Dialed in? - Kevin (aka ThreadKilla)

Ponied it in, if you want to go old school mail. - Micah from FFHound(roid)!

Pwned it in? (MMOG) - Micah from FFHound(roid)!

^Morton Fox beat you with smoke signaled I think. :) - Zulema ❧ spicy cocoa tart

Now that I think about it, butt-dialed seems impossible now. - Rodfather

Rod, what about rotary butts? - Micah from FFHound(roid)!

Like a merry-go-round? - Rodfather

I keep a Western Electric phone in my oversized back pocket just so I can truly butt dial for the hipster cred. - Micah from FFHound(roid)!

Dang, that must take some working of the hips. - Le Slip Anglais

never heard this vernacular. every time in the last 40 years that i've heard someone "dialled it in" it was in reference to them fine-tuning something, zeroing in on detail or totally nailing something difficult. unoriginal neologisms perpetrated by the culturally ignorant are confusing at best. - Hieronymous Boosh

I think it still applies though, Joe. It used to be a matter of setting all the dials "just so", whereas it's more of a "push button to autotune" kind of world these days. - Le Slip Anglais

@Slippy: ever used Autotune? it involves knobs. even if it's the software version. - Hieronymous Boosh

but no, it totally doesn't apply. - Hieronymous Boosh

Pardon me. ..."push button to perform automated scan" kind of world... - Le Slip Anglais

you're making excuses now. :P - Hieronymous Boosh

merely an error in vernacular, my good sir. - Le Slip Anglais

perhaps, but when you dial something in you are not doing it the easy way. there's the error. - Hieronymous Boosh

Autotune is the new breathing helium, that's all. - Micah from FFHound(roid)!

Accepted. Now seeing the error in the OP itself. "Dialling it in" in that context is not a thing. "Dialling it in" as regards "fine tuning" is definitely a thing, I was confuserating the two. - Le Slip Anglais

@Micah: far worse. it's made formerly excellent singers and instrumentalists LAZY. fscking play it right or toss in the towel! - Hieronymous Boosh

"confuserating"? *ENGULFED IN PHLEGM* - Hieronymous Boosh

My work here is done. - Le Slip Anglais

AMEN, Joe! *fistbump* - Lisa | #TeamMonique from Android