What's the word for this please? (When usually a male teases a female)

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moonlike

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Hi
Could you help me with this word? You know I heard shooting crabs (I'm terribly sorry, I've heard it's a slang, I couldn't find it. So sorry if it's so rude). I also heard crack wise, again I couldn't find it.
I mean when in the street a male uses some words to tease or make a female laugh, what's the word for that?
Thanks a lot

Sorry, if I couldn't explain it well.
 

emsr2d2

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Hi
Could you help me with this word? You know I heard shooting crabs (I'm terribly sorry, I've heard it's a slang, I couldn't find it. So sorry if it's so rude). I also heard crack wise, again I couldn't find it.
I mean when in the street a male uses some words to tease or make a female laugh, what's the word for that?
Thanks a lot

Sorry, if I couldn't explain it well.

As far as I know, "to crack wise" or "to make wisecracks" simply means to mess about verbally, making jokes etc. I think the phrase might be "shooting the crap" but that means just generally chatting.

In my opinion, neither of them have any connection with a man teasing a woman and making her laugh. I can't think of a phrase which describes that activity.
 

moonlike

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As far as I know, "to crack wise" or "to make wisecracks" simply means to mess about verbally, making jokes etc. I think the phrase might be "shooting the crap" but that means just generally chatting.

In my opinion, neither of them have any connection with a man teasing a woman and making her laugh. I can't think of a phrase which describes that activity.


Like wolf whistling somebody, I mean instead of that, one or two words that are blurted out as soon as some guys, like workers, see a female.
Thanks a lot.
 

billmcd

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Hi
Could you help me with this word? You know I heard shooting crabs (I'm terribly sorry, I've heard it's a slang, I couldn't find it. So sorry if it's so rude). I also heard crack wise, again I couldn't find it.
I mean when in the street a male uses some words to tease or make a female laugh, what's the word for that?
Thanks a lot

Sorry, if I couldn't explain it well.

"Shooting craps" (not "crabs") is a game of chance using a pair of dice usually found in a casino, When used in casual conversation, not in the sense of casino gambling, it can mean that a person takes a chance not knowing the outcome, "a crap shoot" . But after reviewing emsr2d2's response and without knowing the context, I would agree that it refers more to general conversation

"A wise crack" is a crude, rude or offensive remark, not reserved for females.
 
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emsr2d2

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In most workplaces in the UK, men wolf-whistling or blurting out phrases specifically to women, would probably be grounds for disciplinary action.

In less enlightened times, women in the UK frequently heard "Phwoooar" or "All right, darling" shouted at them by builders at the top of scaffolding. I have no idea what young women might hear from young men in nightclubs these days but I doubt I'd like the phrases, and nor would I expect to hear them in the workplace.
 

moonlike

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In most workplaces in the UK, men wolf-whistling or blurting out phrases specifically to women, would probably be grounds for disciplinary action.

In less enlightened times, women in the UK frequently heard "Phwoooar" or "All right, darling" shouted at them by builders at the top of scaffolding. I have no idea what young women might hear from young men in nightclubs these days but I doubt I'd like the phrases, and nor would I expect to hear them in the workplace.

Thanks
Me neither. I just wanna know what the verb for this action by those men, is. What do they do? It's done by some low class people who are just wandering around in the street and doing nothing special.
Thanks a million.
 

emsr2d2

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I would call it "harassment", "verbal harassment" or even "sexual harassment" so the associated verb would be "harassing". "Hassling" is a possibility but that's not restricted to men saying things to women. Neither of them is limited to low-class people wandering the streets though. I have a feeling that there is not going to be an equivalent English word for a verb that you clearly have in your country/language. What does it say in your Persian-English dictionary?
 

moonlike

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I would call it "harassment", "verbal harassment" or even "sexual harassment" so the associated verb would be "harassing". "Hassling" is a possibility but that's not restricted to men saying things to women. Neither of them is limited to low-class people wandering the streets though. I have a feeling that there is not going to be an equivalent English word for a verb that you clearly have in your country/language. What does it say in your Persian-English dictionary?

Thanks a million and sorry for the trouble. In my dictionary I found make wisecracks and josh.
 

emsr2d2

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Thanks a million and sorry for the trouble. In my dictionary I found make wisecracks and josh.

I can assure you that neither of those are limited to things men say to women. Is that the case in Persian?
 
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moonlike

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I can assure that neither of those are limited to things men say to women. Is that the case in Persian?

Yeah, mostly it comes from the men (and as I said the low class one, usually the workers, the one who's wandering around in the street etc,which is so disgusting and nerve racking) unless the female is a teenager. I mean she is so young and childish not grown up enough and wanna attract the attention of the male.

Thanks a billion for the help.
 

emsr2d2

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Yeah, mostly it comes from the men (and, as I said, the low class ones, usually the workers, the ones who are wandering around in the street etc, which is disgusting and nerve-racking) unless the female is a teenager. I mean she is very young and childish and not grown up enough to attract the attention of the males.

Thanks a billion for the help.

Why do the workers wander the streets harassing people? Shouldn't they be working?
 

5jj

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Please try to use standard written English conventions in this forum -'want to' rather than 'wanna'. Thank you.
 

magimagicE

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For a minute I thought the thread was heading into the territory of unsavoury banter. I realise now that it was only of the harmless, good-natured office type.
 

BobK

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In most workplaces in the UK, men wolf-whistling or blurting out phrases specifically to women, would probably be grounds for disciplinary action.

In less enlightened times, women in the UK frequently heard "Phwoooar" or "All right, darling" shouted at them by builders at the top of scaffolding. I have no idea what young women might hear from young men in nightclubs these days but I doubt I'd like the phrases, and nor would I expect to hear them in the workplace.

'Less enlightened...'? That suggests it doesn't still happen (though it probably did happen more at one time).

By chance BBC Radio 4 is airing a documentary called My Name Is Not 'Hey Baby' tonight at 20.00 BST.

b

PS I don't know whether you'll be able to get this, Moonlike. It'll be on iPlayer later tonight and for a week. Sounds like it could make a topical listening exercise for your more advanced students.
 
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