Wolf Whistle

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

Let a hot, sexy woman stroll through a crowd of males and one or more of them will emit this classic sound, guaranteed. The Wolf Whistle is a staple of old films and cartoons of the '30s and '40s, most notably the works of Tex Avery. The Wolf would acknowledge the presence of Red with this whistle.

The Wolf Whistle isn't limited to men expressing their appreciation of women. It can also be used to express admiration for anything desirable. A hot sports car, awesome home electronics, a new jet fighter can also elicit this response.

It should be noted that the Wolf Whistle isn't restricted to men. On occasion women will use it to express approval of the new stud in the environment.

This was noted the most common Wolf whistle, usually approval of thought to find a person sexily attractive. A slightly different version of the Wolf Whistle involves a single, lower-pitched elongated tone, usually while the character stares at the person/object in question. It more commonly used today than the classic whistle.

Variations include the "wolf howl," the "purr," the "growl," and the "dog pant." (Note that carnivorous mammals always seem to be referenced.)

May also have the whistler become an actual wolf, or have a wolf head. See also Construction Catcalls.

Examples of Wolf Whistle include:

Anime and Manga

  • Spice and Wolf's Ending theme song in the show was called the Wolf whistle song.

Film

  • Famously done in the Humphrey Bogart film To Have and Have Not: Lauren Bacall instructs Bogey: "You know how to whistle, don't you, Steve? You just put your lips together and blow." When she's gone, he tries it, and produces a wolf whistle.
  • In The Girl Can't Help It, a paperboy does this after seeing Jerri (Jayne Mansfield).
  • Batman Returns: At Gotham City's tree-lighting ceremony, someone in the crowd lets one out when the Ice Princess slips off her fur coat, revealing she's wearing only a one-piece underneath.
  • The Mask: It's actually brought up in the film that hero Stanley Ipkiss is a huge fan of Tex Avery's cartoons. After donning Loki's mask, he goes to see Tina Carlyle at the Coco Bongo Club and pays tribute to Red Hot Riding Hood by transforming into a green wolf, complete with whistle.
  • Space Jam has a wolf whisle coming from the audience upon Lola Bunny entering the arena for the game.

Theater

  • In the song, "There Is Nothing Like A Dame," from South Pacific, there is a break in which the sailors wolf-whistle at attractive women.

Video Games

  • In the University expansion of The Sims 2, this is one of the actions a Sim can do to turn another one on.
  • Only a wolf whistle is seen in the top caption after Locke has stolen and then worn the clothes from enemies in the SNES version of Final Fantasy VI.
  • In Tales of Monkey Island Chapter 4: The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood, during the second charge against Guybrush, Bosun Kathryn Krebbs jumps up and sits atop the witness stand, making the crowds wolf-whistle as she shows them the scar on her leg.

Western Animation

  • "Red Hot Riding Hood". About ten examples in the first minute alone, by a literal wolf. Grandma did this joke once to him in the cartoon too.
  • In "Hollywood Steps Out," a selection of Hollywood hunks (e.g., Wallace Beery, Ronald Colman, Errol Flynn, William Powell, Aubrey Smith, and Spencer Tracy), while watching "bubble dancer" Sally Rand, wolf-whistle and go, "Baaaby!"
  • Disney's 1973 version of Robin Hood has Robin and Little John disguise themselves as Gypsy women as part of a scheme to swindle Prince John. Little John, being the larger of the pair, comes off looking like a Big Beautiful Woman with colossal breasts, and one of the prince's guards wolf-whistles in his direction.
  • In the Family Guy episode "The Perfect Castaway", Peter says that he used to be a construction worker in New York, but he never got the catcalling right. Cue to Peter working on a construction site with three other guys while an attractive woman walks by:

First worker: (whistles)
Second worker: Yeah, baby!
Third worker: I want a piece of that!
Peter: You suck!

  • Ren and Stimpy had done this when Ren Took of his fur for a coat and led it out the Whistle.
  • In SpongeBob "Grandma's Kisses", Spongebob thought Patrick would be right when he said, "Don't be a baby!". Patrick asked, "Have I ever not been right?"
    • Note, he was always giving out wrong advice to Spongebob by the last part of the show. While tainted to be too sexy in their black suits.
    • It happened again a few more times of a joke, in the later series.
  • Rocko's Modern Life had the main character go get a drink wile being naked. There his friends had taken a photo of him naked and he was wolf-whistled by a tease.
  • The Merrie Melodies "Stage Door Cartoon" had Elmer Fudd's face briefly turn into a wolf while whistling at the Chorus Girls' legs.
  • A guy with a jackhammer does this when he sees Fifi Le Fume in the episode "Aroma Amore" of Tiny Toon Adventures. As soon as he realizes she's a skunk however he freaks out.
    • Monty does this upon seeing Mitzi in "Prom-ise Her Anything".