iPhone help ..... I should be embarrassed.

So, I have had my iPhone since last summer and I still miss calls.
Somehow, I haven't come to grips with that unlocking slide thingie. If the phone rings and I haven't used it for a while, it doesn't seem possible, to simply push any(!) button, to answer the call. Or is there and I simply haven't found the way?

This is one instance where I would prefer to be stupid, because then there'd be a simple solution.

Slide the slider all the way OFF the edge. Works every time.

(Conversely, when deleting from a list, such as emails, I find that sliding and stopping BEFORE the edge works better. Go figure.)