Since quite a while now, when you call a local BSNL phone line in Bangalore which is busy, you get messages in Hindi, Kannada and in English saying the line's busy. Well, the exact wording of the message in English is "The phone number you have dialed is under conversation".
Whoever came up with such a creative construction: "is under conversation"? This is not even a direct translation of the Kannada message, which says "Neevu kare maadiro dooravaani sankhyeyu sambhashaneyalli nirata vaagide" - which could have been translated as "The phone number you have dialed has a conversation in progress". Perhaps the creator of this message had intended "is undergoing a conversation"? Even that doesn't sound right.
The only similar construction in English that immediately comes to my mind is "is under duress". Ofcourse, one can have constructions like "is under construction" - but I like duress better. Being "under conversation" sounds labourious, stressful. It almost like saying, look buddy, this number is deeply immersed under a heavy conversation, so stop bugging us.
Ok, I'm no William Safire, so I'll stop my analysis here :)
