"on the phone" or "over the phone"

[learning101]

Hi all,
Which is the correct way of saying?
"They happily exchanged gossip over/on the phone?
When can I use "on the phone" or the other way?

Thank you .

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

In that sentence over is slightly more natural because the statement reports a two-way conversation. It's probably related to the expression talk over, meaning discuss.

If you're simply saying that a phone is in use, on and off are correct:

- I can't peel onions while I'm on the phone. I'll peel them when I'm off.
- He never finishes his homework because he's always on the phone. He's only off the phone when he's sleeping.