1
general::
Phrase(s): *away from one’s desk
Fig. not available for a telephone conversation; not available to be seen or spoken to. (Sometimes said by the person who answers a telephone in an office. It means that the person whom the caller wants is not immediately available due to personal or business reasons. *Typically: be ~; step ~.) • I’m sorry, but Ann is away from her desk just now. Can you come back later? • Tom has stepped away from his desk, but if you leave your number, he will call you right back.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs