逃避电话&误拨电话

自从有了微信等即时通讯工具，好像打电话的人越来越少了。不过，有些很重要的事情还是得通过电话才能说清楚。有些事，直接打电话跟对方说可能有点尴尬，但是不说又不行，于是有些人就选择语音留言。

Stealth call is when you have to call someone back but don't want to really talk to them, so you wait until you know they can't talk and leave a voice mail.
“逃避电话”（stealth call）指当你不得不给谁回电话，但是又真的不想和他们直接讲话时，你就瞅准时间，在一个他们不可能接电话的点打过去，这样直接在语音信箱留言就行。

比如下面这个例子：

I don't want to tell Karen I can't make it tonight, so I'll Stealth-call her when she's on her flight and has her phone shut off.
我不想亲口跟凯伦说我今晚去不了，所以我趁她还在飞机上、手机关机的时候打电话过去。

说到打电话，那么我们就顺便说一说跟打电话相关的另外几个说法。一个是手机装在裤兜里被误拨出去的电话，叫butt call；另外一个是出去相亲前跟朋友约好，过20分钟打电话把你解救出来的“解困电话”，英文为escape call。

我们分别来看看这两个说法的英文解释：

Butt call refers to an unintended phone call placed by sitting on one's cell phone. Maybe the phone bumped up against something in a purse or briefcase, or rubbed up against a seat belt. Or maybe the phone fell on the floor. Maybe the person just sat on their phone—which explains why some industry insiders call inadvertent dialing "butt calls."
Butt call（误拨电话）指误坐在手机上而拨出的电话。也可能是手机放在钱包或公文包里碰到了什么东西，或者碰到安全带了。也或许是手机掉到地板上了。甚至可能是有人坐在手机上了——这也正是业内人士把“误拨电话”称为butt call的原因。

跟butt call相似的另一个说法是pocket call，即手机放在衣服口袋里不小心碰到通话键而拨出的电话。

Escape call is a planned call or beep from a co-worker that allows you to feign an emergency in order to escape a particularly boring or meaningless meeting, or from a friend that helps you escape from an unsatisfying, even embarrassing blind date.
Escape call就是无聊会议期间接到事先安排好的同事来电，好让你佯装出了紧急状况逃离那个毫无意义的会议；或是相亲过程中朋友打来帮你逃离不满意对象、从尴尬约会中救出的那通电话，我们统称为“解困来电”。

（中国日报网英语点津 Helen）