Pocket dialing

Pocket dialing (also known as pocket calling or butt dialing) is the accidental placement of a call on a mobile phone or cordless phone located in a person's pocket or handbag. The recipient of the call typically hears random background noise when answering the phone. If the caller remains unaware, the recipient will sometimes overhear whatever is happening in the caller's vicinity. A pocket-dialed call can continue for many minutes, or until the recipient's voice mail system ends the call. The phrase “Butt Dial” was coined by JP Montemayor in 1988 when he accidentally sat on the IMTS telephone (precursor to cell phones) transceiver in his car, and accidentally dialed a co-worker. The phrase "pocket dial" was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in August 2015.