Talk:Wolf ticket

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Mention of selling wolf tickets takes me back to Philapa in the 70s. Culture shock can be dangerous, especially when a culture that sells wolf tickets meets a culture that stresses keeping aggressions (and preparations for responding to aggressions) hidden. Although I never had proof, it seemed to me that sometimes "woofs" were returned with steel. So it is good to have the wolf ticket meaning explained for the general public.

Now I have one that don't quite understand. I once sat on the hard mattress of my one-night bed in a YMCA in Chicago (?) anticipating a blood bath as two people had a violent verbal exchange right outside my door. One was clearly the aggressor, and I understood clearly what he threatened to do. What I didn't understand was the many times repeated rejoinder: "I don't know you, Jack!" I have my guess as to what that response was supposed to convey, but I'd rather hear somebody who actually knows give me the true word. P0M 18:20, 14 Dec 2004 (UTC)

My guess is he was probably stating the obvious -- but not having been there, I can't really say. deeceevoice 00:55, 15 Dec 2004 (UTC)

Patrick, I just read my response and thought I'd offer a clearer explanation. The man didn't know the guy with whom he was having a verbal altercation. His, "I don't know you, Jack!" was simply his way of saying --"Hey, ease up off me, man. This misunderstanding/beef isn't personal. It can't be that serious." ("Lighten up -- and please don't hurt me!" or just, "Why you sweatin' me?") Obviously, this explanation has nothing to do with the ethnicity of the two guys. Sorry for my rather cryptic earlier response. deeceevoice 04:30, 19 August 2005 (UTC)

A question

This is my first edit, so I'll do it in discussion instead of the actual article: Being only 21 years old, I obviously wasn't there in the 70s or whenever this phrase came about... however, at my local high school, the caucasians used the terms, "woofing", "woofin'", "selling tickets", "dropping tickets", and my personal favorite, simply, "I think you dropped something" (implying they dropped a woof ticket), as much if not more than other ethnic groups on campus, and these sayings had little to do with aggression. The meaning was that you were lying about something, or trying to get away with a lie/deception of some sort, and although it does usually calling someone out on a lie, it often can be a very humorous way of doing it... For example, in a recent poker game, when one player would make a bet, somebody else's response would often be, "Woofin'!" if they thought the first player was trying to bet on a low or non-existent hand. (unsigned post)

Hey, welcome. :)

I wrote the (African-American) piece, so I'll respond. This terminology is a good deal older than the '70s -- how old, I cannot say, but it's got at least 50 to 60 years on it. I'm an African-American. The explanation of the term is dead-on accurate. However it may have been misused by others outside the African-American community unfamiliar with the phrase -- as often happens when whites try to adopt African-American slang (or in any transcultural/cross-cultural practice -- e.g., the term "wolf ticket" itself), the explanation of the term in the article is dead-on accurate.

I'll address the poker usage first, since the use of "woofin'" there is more accurate than the former instance you cited. Poker is a game of aggression, of sorts. If you've got the juice (cards) to back up your swagger (bluff), you take the man's cards. If you don't, you're just woofin' 'bout how badd your hand is. You're blowin' smoke. The business about deception -- well, that's pushin' the usage a bit -- over the edge, I'd say. That's more than a bit off the mark.

One more thing. You might consider signing your contributions in some fashion in the future, whether you choose to formally register as a user or not. It helps prevent confusion. Peace. deeceevoice 04:21, 19 August 2005 (UTC)