Hi this is Tutor Nick P and this is Noun Phrase 52. The noun phrase today is
wolf whistle. Okay. Let's take a look at the note. If someone makes a wolf whistle,
especially a man you know, it's almost always a man. He makes a loud whistling
sound with a high rising note and a low falling note. It kind of sounds probably
something like ( wolf whistle sound' ) That would be your typical sort of a wolf whistle. Yeah so
men, typically construction workers or tough guys or, or laborers do this to
show admiration for a woman's beauty . I'm sure you've seen this in many movie
scenes, but you know I have seen this in real life too.
A little bit, so but but especially construction workers, especially outdoor
laborers. You know, when there's a number of them around. If he, and especially if
he thinks she is sexy. However , many women find it intimidating.
Well, well some might. They might almost get a little scared or feel a little
nervous and sometimes they'll probably just walk on by quickly. And sometimes
offensive, they may. Okay. So different women may actually react different ways.
So like most will probably do nothing. They'll be quiet and they'll just walk
on. I mean it is a possible every now and then that you know, some of them may give
a dirty look to the construction workers. Or I mean if worse they may yell
something back or maybe they give them a middle finger or something like that. But
anyway, let's let's continue with the, with the note here. There are several
theories about how the term wolf whistle came to be what it is today. How'd it
come into existence ? What's its origin ? Some credit a scene from an old movie "To
Have or Have not with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. And in this, in this
scene that they're actually kind of arguing with each other, and then
suddenly Lauren Bacall's character just kind of leans over and kisses Humphrey
Bogart. Actually takes him by surprise and he says you know,
what did you do that for ? And she basically replies I've been wondering
whether I'd like it. You know and then and then she goes on to say, you know
you don't have to act with me Steve. She said you don't have to act with me you
don't have to do anything, not a thing. Oh maybe uh maybe just maybe just
whistle. And that's, that's really where it came from. So as she walks out the
door he kind of lets out (wolf Whistling sound ) Kind of like that so that's why a lot of people think
he kind of came from that. There's other theories too there's others that claim a
wolf whistle is actually really a whistle to warn you about wolves. You
know in Great Britain you know a lot of Shepherds used to make a really, really
loud whistle. You know , the whistle you can put your fingers in your mouth and
get hear it for miles. And that's the way they signaled each other that, that a
wolf was coming. So some people believe this is where it may have started.
However , let's continue here. However believe it or not. Cartoons may have had
the most significant influence on wolf whistles, Tex Avery made two influential
cartoons little Red Walking Hood in 1937 and Red-Hot Riding Hood in 1943. Yeah the
one that Red Hot Riding Hood I don't know if you ever remember the old movie ,Mask.
I think Jim Carrey makes fun of this because when he has the mask on
he's doing the same thing. Where he's you know he's whistling all over it you know,
I guess a little red-hot Riding Hood is up there
and he's like whistling , (whistling sound) and he's getting the machine to whistle. And his eyes are
popping out. The tongue is coming out. And it's really kind of overdone. But here's
the point. Avery's cartoons were shown to US soldiers
during World War two and before you know it , wolf-whistling was everywhere. So
maybe the soldiers picked up on this. Maybe that's how it started. So to be
honest that probably seems like the most likely or the greatest influence on wolf
whistles. Now ironically, I remember in the 1990's, So
ironically in the 1990s, there was a TV show called Ugly Betty.
Yeah it was a TV show I think it was a cable TV show. And and the girl she
supposed they purposely made her look unattractive. They put nerdy glasses on
her and she I think she was still wearing braces. She supposedly was very
nice though. Supposedly had a good heart. But there
was one scene in one episode and one episode she had to dress up you know
just a little sexy. And she got her first wolf whistle. However she never, she never
received one before. So she was actually flattered. Yeah. I always remember they
kind of made a joke out of this. Because normally she's ugly, and she thinks she never
got a wolf whistle. So she's like she, she got the whistle and she's turned around
just looking around. Me, me and she's pointing to herself, me, me. She was really
happy about it. Because nobody you know, hardly anybody, ever thought she was sexy.
So they made a joke out of that. But anyway, let me know, let me know if you
ever received a wolf whistle. You know, if you're a woman and how would you
respond ? Would you get angry ? Will you just keep quiet ? Will you walk on ? Would
you think it's offensive ? Will you will you yell some dirty words back ? Or would
you give them a middle finger ? Or would you act like Ugly Betty and be, be happy
about it. I don't know. I guess if you want you can
leave some comments. But anyway. Thank you for your time. I hope you got it . I hope
you enjoyed it. Goodbye. Bye-bye.