Wolf-whistling
A wolf whistle is a distinctive two-note glissando whistled sound made to show high interest in or approval of something or someone (usually a woman), especially at someone viewed as physically or sexually attractive. Today, a wolf whistle directed at a person is sometimes considered a precursor to sexual harassment, or a form of sexual harassment in itself.[1][2][3]
The name comes from the Wolf character in the popular 1943 Tex Avery cartoon Red Hot Riding Hood who whistles in this way at the sexy female character Red.[4] He whistles at her in several other subsequent cartoons. The term appears in North American newspapers as early as 1943.[5] It appears in British newspapers from 1949 onwards.[6][7]
According to Adam Edwards of
The standard sound for a coin insertion for the
A variant, finger whistling, involves fingers being inserted above the curled tongue[11] to produce a louder and more penetrating tone.
See also
- Cat-calling
References
- ^ "Wolf-whistling is just the start – harassment is not harmless". The Guardian. March 8, 2012. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
- ^ "Wolf-whistling "could be made illegal" under new European convention". The Daily Telegraph. March 8, 2012. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
- ^ "'Wolf-whistling isn't fun, it's humiliating': Hollaback! campaign aims to end street harassment". Hull Daily Mail. June 17, 2014. Archived from the original on December 19, 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
- ^ Barr, Sabrina (18 October 2018). "The history of wolf-whistling and why it could be banned". The Independent. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- ^ Pat Wallace (July 23, 1943). "Talk of the Town". The Vancouver Sun. p. 10.
we met the battery of gibes and wolf whistles with what we pretended was complete unconcern
- ^ "And not one face at the windows". Daily Express. London. 23 June 1949.
... and not even the faintest suspicion of a "wolf" whistle!
- ^ "What a woman!". Daily Express. London. 15 February 1950.
And a lone wolf whistle came from the back.
- ^ Edwards, Adam. "You just put your lips together and wolf whistle". Daily Express. 4 August 2011.
- ^ Barrett, Grant. "Wolf Whistle". (Audio podcast, requires SoundCloud player for access.) A Way with Words. 11 December 2015.
- ^ United States Navy Band, Boatswain's Calls, retrieved 2017-10-30
- ^ "How to Whistle With Your Fingers". The Art of Manliness. April 8, 2012. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
External links
- The dictionary definition of wolf whistle at Wiktionary