be on the wire—(dated) be speaking on the telephone (also: be over the wire):
- He ought to have spoken to Nunez about the broken chain while he was on the wire.
be on wires —(coll.) be in a state of nervous excitement or agitation:
- “I could not sleep,” began the Countess. “I was all, as you say, on wires.”
Note: The expression does not fully correlate in meaning with the phrase be wired—
1. be carrying a hidden communications device connecting to other people:
- Rodriguez was convicted for receiving bribes from an undercover agent who was wired.
2. (of premises) be equipped with a microphone, loudspeakers, etc., to transmit sound:
- The hall was wired with miles of cables, computer monitors, and loudspeakers to showcase new music.
3. be programmed like a robot to do smth.:
- Remember, he’s wired to kill and rape everything in sight—and he knows how to dispose of the body!
4. (coll.) = be on wires:
- Some nights he is so wired until he comes to bed but can’t sleep, so he is just watching TV for hours.