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A wolf whistle

English translation: Does not translate

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Turkish term or phrase:A wolf whistle
English translation:Does not translate
Entered by: Hellinas

17:37 Aug 20, 2013
Turkish to English translations [Non-PRO]
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings / Technical term
Turkish term or phrase: A wolf whistle
For a good article on the subject, see:- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolf-whistling
Briefly, the term means 'A sound made with pursed lips in appreciation of superior beauty. It is in two parts; the first a rising note and the second a falling note..'
Is there a neat Turkish colloquialism? I know customs widely differ & that Islamic countries are far more strict than Western societies, but I presume that in the major cities there are different customs & behaviour. Tureng's 'güzel bir kadının arkasından çalınan ıslık' is a definition not a convenient equivalent.
Hellinas
Local time: 15:32
Does not translate
Explanation:
It is one of those things that is hard to translate because it's very cultural. Some people might be offended by a wolf whistle, while someone else might not. There isn't really a term for it in Turkish. In English if you say wolf whistle everyone knows what it sounds like, in Turkish you would have to explain it.
Selected response from:

CJR
United States
Grading comment
This is the fullest answer even if it gives no suggestion. Atunac's laf atmak is a very useful expression & one which beginners do well to learn. It refers to verbal innuendo not a whistle of admiration by an anonymous male or set of males when a very attractive woman passes. I have even heard women use it when an attractive man passes. Our culture is here very different, but not necessarily better. An extra point: what do Turkish men
do in these circumstances? Make comments to each other or loud enough to be overheard?
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4laf atmak
Ahmet Tunca
4Does not translate
CJR
3oooooooohhhhh
Salih YILDIRIM
3ıslıkla taciz
Raffi Jamgocyan


  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
oooooooohhhhh


Explanation:
might be

Salih YILDIRIM
United States
Local time: 10:32
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in TurkishTurkish
PRO pts in category: 88
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12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
laf atmak


Explanation:
It is not a literal translation though

www.zargan.com/tr#!q=wolf whistle

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Note added at 14 mins (2013-08-20 17:51:19 GMT)
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http://goo.gl/2jUpDB

Ahmet Tunca
Türkiye
Local time: 17:32
Native speaker of: Native in TurkishTurkish
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37 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
ıslıkla taciz


Explanation:
In Turkish we do not specify types of whistle and they are all called "ıslık", but from a woman's point of view any whistle blown whether for appreciation or otherwise is a harrassment, so you could classify a wolf whistle as a harrassment by whistling

Raffi Jamgocyan
Türkiye
Local time: 17:32
Native speaker of: Native in TurkishTurkish
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Does not translate


Explanation:
It is one of those things that is hard to translate because it's very cultural. Some people might be offended by a wolf whistle, while someone else might not. There isn't really a term for it in Turkish. In English if you say wolf whistle everyone knows what it sounds like, in Turkish you would have to explain it.

CJR
United States
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Grading comment
This is the fullest answer even if it gives no suggestion. Atunac's laf atmak is a very useful expression & one which beginners do well to learn. It refers to verbal innuendo not a whistle of admiration by an anonymous male or set of males when a very attractive woman passes. I have even heard women use it when an attractive man passes. Our culture is here very different, but not necessarily better. An extra point: what do Turkish men
do in these circumstances? Make comments to each other or loud enough to be overheard?
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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