Wolf-whistling

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Wolf-whistling-fiu-fiu
In Spanish, the wolf whistle sound is written as 'fiu fiu'.

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

better source needed] During a 2015 broadcast of A Way with Words, doubt was cast upon this explanation by lexicographer Grant Barrett, who noted that it was very thinly supported.[9] The Turn To Call is far closer to the wolf whistle than the General Call.[10]

The standard sound for a coin insertion for the

pinball machine "Playboy" (featuring iconography from Playboy magazine) is the wolf whistle.[citation needed
]

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

  1. ^ "Wolf-whistling is just the start – harassment is not harmless". The Guardian. March 8, 2012. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  2. ^ "Wolf-whistling "could be made illegal" under new European convention". The Daily Telegraph. March 8, 2012. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  3. ^ "'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.
  4. ^ Barr, Sabrina (18 October 2018). "The history of wolf-whistling and why it could be banned". The Independent. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  5. ^ 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
  6. ^ "And not one face at the windows". Daily Express. London. 23 June 1949. ... and not even the faintest suspicion of a "wolf" whistle!
  7. ^ "What a woman!". Daily Express. London. 15 February 1950. And a lone wolf whistle came from the back.
  8. ^ Edwards, Adam. "You just put your lips together and wolf whistle". Daily Express. 4 August 2011.
  9. ^ Barrett, Grant. "Wolf Whistle". (Audio podcast, requires SoundCloud player for access.) A Way with Words. 11 December 2015.
  10. ^ United States Navy Band, Boatswain's Calls, retrieved 2017-10-30
  11. ^ "How to Whistle With Your Fingers". The Art of Manliness. April 8, 2012. Retrieved March 7, 2017.

External links