crank caller
Anonymous telephone pest
A crank caller is someone who makes prank or harassing phone calls, typically to strangers.
The calls may be juvenile jokes, heavy breathing, obscene remarks, or repeated hang-ups.
The term carries connotations of nuisance rather than serious threat: The police dismissed it as just a crank caller.
Before caller ID, crank callers operated with near-total anonymity.
- prankPlayful trick on someone
- jokeHumorous statement seeking laughter
- mischief-makerOne who causes trouble
- ringClosed curve shape
- hoaxerOne who deceives playfully
number · hangup · nuisance · voice · harassment · anonymous · blocked number · unlisted number · troublemaker · tone · restraining order · click · hang up · phone line · phone booth · funny · voice modulation · heavy breather