on call twenty-four seven
- idiom
- The IT support team is on call twenty-four seven to resolve any technical issues.
Examples
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As a doctor, she is on call twenty-four seven in case of emergencies.
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Running a small business often means being on call twenty-four seven for your clients.
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The doctor is on call twenty-four seven.
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We need someone who is on call twenty-four seven for emergencies.
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As a doctor, she is on call twenty-four seven in case of emergencies.
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Running a small business often means being on call twenty-four seven for your clients.
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The IT support team is on call twenty-four seven to resolve any technical issues.
Synonyms
Happens all the time without stopping
Open every hour of every day
How Available
Surface Forms
Morphology
on + call + twenty-four + seven
The expression simply combines the transparent item 'on call' (being available to be contacted or to work when needed) with the numeric adverbial 'twenty-four seven' (24 hours a day, 7 days a week). A B1 learner who knows 'on', 'call' and the numbers can directly infer continuous availability, and the same numeric + availability pattern is common cross-linguistically.
Etymology
On call twenty-four seven comes from a simple image: someone who is on call, ready to answer the phone or go to work, and twenty-four seven means all day, every day. So, it means 'available to work or respond at any time'.