mobile

Hi,
there is a couple of expressions which I use in my language and I'd like to know if there's an equivalent in English.
One is when you agree to phone somebody and let the mobile phone ring two or three times and then hang up. This helps you let the others know something (e.g. that you are waiting for them downstairs) without incurring into any phone expenses. We say in Spanish "hacer una (llamada) perdida". How do you say that in English?
A second question is when you have an incoming phone call, you see the name on the display and you decide for whatever reason not to answer. To stop the phone ringing you just press the red button. Germans say "jemanden wegdrücken", and I'd like to know if there is an English equivalent.
Thanks

Hello,

Not to my knowledge of Br. English.

Regards

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Originally Posted by ophiuchus

Hi,
there is a couple of expressions which I use in my language and I'd like to know if there's an equivalent in English.
One is when you agree to phone somebody and let the mobile phone ring two or three times and then hang up. This helps you let the others know something (e.g. that you are waiting for them downstairs) without incurring into any phone expenses. We say in Spanish "hacer una (llamada) perdida". How do you say that in English?
A second question is when you have an incoming phone call, you see the name on the display and you decide for whatever reason not to answer. To stop the phone ringing you just press the red button. Germans say "jemanden wegdrücken", and I'd like to know if there is an English equivalent.
Thanks

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I can't think of specific cognate terms.
For 1, I'd say it was an agreed signal. "That's our signal".
2. You say "I screen my calls"; but there's no term to describe someone who you've just screened out.

Thank you both.
Just one more question. In case I decided not to answer somebody on the phone because I'm, say, in a meeting, could I then apologize later by saying: Sorry that I screened you out? Would that make sense?
Thanks again

*** NOT A TEACHER ***

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Originally Posted by ophiuchus

In case I decided not to answer somebody on the phone because I'm, say, in a meeting, could I then apologize later by saying: Sorry that I screened you out?

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How about: I'm sorry to have rejected your call?

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Originally Posted by ophiuchus

A second question is when you have an incoming phone call, you see the name on the display and you decide for whatever reason not to answer. To stop the phone ringing you just press the red button. Germans say "jemanden wegdrücken", and I'd like to know if there is an English equivalent.

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See above. :-) (Reject a call) Maybe "dismiss a call" also works.

For the first situation. Raymott gave a suggestion. Ofcourse I am not a native speaker of English. But in Iran we say "missed call bezan" which means "do a missed call" (as a signal). I don't know what English-speaking people say in such situations and it is strange if they have no exact phrase for it, perhaps they do not send such signals to each other! but perhaps making a phrase out of "missed call" which is well-known in mobile technical language is acceptable.

As Richard and Raymott, both native speakers, have suggested, there appears to be no specific term in English. I certainly can't think of one.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ophiuchus

Thank you both.
Just one more question. In case I decided not to answer somebody on the phone because I'm, say, in a meeting, could I then apologize later by saying: Sorry that I screened you out? Would that make sense?
Thanks again

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You could say that, and it might be understood.
I'd say, "Sorry I couldn't take your call. I was in a meeting; I'm not trying to avoid you ..."

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Originally Posted by Khosro

For the first situation. Raymott gave a suggestion. Ofcourse I am not a native speaker of English. But in Iran we say "missed call bezan" which means "do a missed call" (as a signal). I don't know what English-speaking people say in such situations and it is strange if they have no exact phrase for it, perhaps they do not send such signals to each other! but perhaps making a phrase out of "missed call" which is well-known in mobile technical language is acceptable.

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Well, it's not "missed call bezan", but we usually use something like "takzang" or single beep. "a signal" seems proper but unfortunately not the exact equivalent term.

"Give a miss(ed) call" is very common in Indian English.