Hello, Sailor
Encyclopedia
"Hello, sailor" is a sexual proposition made to a sailor, presumably by a prostitute or promiscuous woman
supposing the sailor to be male and sexually frustrated after a long time at sea. This usage has become a camp
catchphrase, implying that sailors stay away at sea so long that they cannot tell the difference between a hooker and a man in drag
, or a play on the common (mis)conception that many sailors are homosexual. Hello, Sailor in this usage is also the title of several books, including one by Eric Idle
and another about gay life in the British merchant navy
, as well as a 2007 Liverpool museum exhibit about gay sailors.
"Hello, sailor" is used as a running joke in the interactive fiction-text adventure Zork
universe.
begins "Hello, Sailor!" Also, it is included in the invocation the player uses at the Gates of Hell in order to gain access. In Zork III
, the adventurer must say "Hello, Sailor" at the Flathead Ocean when the Viking ship
appears to obtain the vial containing an invisibility potion.
The player can elicit an easter egg in Beyond Zork
by saying "Hello, sailor" to the old sailor with the painting. In Return to Zork
, every time the player returns to visit Ben, Ben greets the player with the variation "Hiya, sailor". The Encyclopedia Frobozzica states that the official motto of Antharia is "Hieya wizka," which translates to "Hello, sailor"; it also states that commandment #12,592 of The Land of the Dead religious sect strictly forbids speaking the phrase "Hello, sailor". In all other Zork-related games, saying "Hello, sailor" merits the response "Nothing happens here".
Chatting with nymph
s in the computer game NetHack
will sometimes prompt them to say "Hello, sailor".
In the Nintendo DSi downloadable game Pinball Pulse: The Ancients Beckon, the Sirens say "Hello, sailor" when the first ball is locked.
In the second episode of the game Tales of Monkey Island
, a character named Anemone is introduced as one of the sexually ambiguous mer-people. She constantly greets the main character, Guybrush Threepwood, with "Hello, sailor!", until he asks her to stop.
episode "Presenting Lorelai Gilmore," the promiscuous dance teacher, Miss Patty, uses the phrase, "Hello, sailor!" while demonstrating the use of a focal point while spinning around in ballroom dancing:
Musician Amy Winehouse
had a tattoo of an anchor with "Hello Sailor" written on it.
Promiscuity
In humans, promiscuity refers to less discriminating casual sex with many sexual partners. The term carries a moral or religious judgement and is viewed in the context of the mainstream social ideal for sexual activity to take place within exclusive committed relationships...
supposing the sailor to be male and sexually frustrated after a long time at sea. This usage has become a camp
Camp (style)
Camp is an aesthetic sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its taste and ironic value. The concept is closely related to kitsch, and things with camp appeal may also be described as being "cheesy"...
catchphrase, implying that sailors stay away at sea so long that they cannot tell the difference between a hooker and a man in drag
Drag (clothing)
Drag is used for any clothing carrying symbolic significance but usually referring to the clothing associated with one gender role when worn by a person of another gender. The origin of the term "drag" is unknown, but it may have originated in Polari, a gay street argot in England in the early...
, or a play on the common (mis)conception that many sailors are homosexual. Hello, Sailor in this usage is also the title of several books, including one by Eric Idle
Eric Idle
Eric Idle is an English comedian, actor, author, singer, writer, and comedic composer. He was as a member of the British comedy group Monty Python, a member of the The Rutles on Saturday Night Live and author of the play, Spamalot....
and another about gay life in the British merchant navy
Merchant Navy
The Merchant Navy is the maritime register of the United Kingdom, and describes the seagoing commercial interests of UK-registered ships and their crews. Merchant Navy vessels fly the Red Ensign and are regulated by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency...
, as well as a 2007 Liverpool museum exhibit about gay sailors.
"Hello, sailor" is used as a running joke in the interactive fiction-text adventure Zork
Zork
Zork was one of the first interactive fiction computer games and an early descendant of Colossal Cave Adventure. The first version of Zork was written in 1977–1979 on a DEC PDP-10 computer by Tim Anderson, Marc Blank, Bruce Daniels, and Dave Lebling, and implemented in the MDL programming language...
universe.
Instances in computer games
A note from Frobozz Magic Boat Company in Zork IZork I
Zork: The Great Underground Empire - Part I, later known as Zork I, is an interactive fiction computer game written by Marc Blank, Dave Lebling, Bruce Daniels and Tim Anderson and published by Infocom in 1980. It was the first game in the popular Zork trilogy and was released for a wide range of...
begins "Hello, Sailor!" Also, it is included in the invocation the player uses at the Gates of Hell in order to gain access. In Zork III
Zork III
Zork III: The Dungeon Master is an interactive fiction computer game written by Marc Blank, Dave Lebling, Bruce Daniels and Tim Anderson and published by Infocom in 1982. It was the third game in the popular Zork trilogy and was released for a wide range of computer systems...
, the adventurer must say "Hello, Sailor" at the Flathead Ocean when the Viking ship
Viking ship
Viking ships were vessels used during the Viking Age in Northern Europe. Scandinavian tradition of shipbuilding during the Viking Age was characterized by slender and flexible boats, with symmetrical ends with true keel. They were clinker built, which is the overlapping of planks riveted together...
appears to obtain the vial containing an invisibility potion.
The player can elicit an easter egg in Beyond Zork
Beyond Zork
Beyond Zork was an interactive fiction computer game written by Brian Moriarty and released by Infocom in 1987...
by saying "Hello, sailor" to the old sailor with the painting. In Return to Zork
Return to Zork
Return to Zork is a 1993 adventure game in the Zork series. It was developed by Activision and was the final Zork game to be published under the Infocom label.-Gameplay:...
, every time the player returns to visit Ben, Ben greets the player with the variation "Hiya, sailor". The Encyclopedia Frobozzica states that the official motto of Antharia is "Hieya wizka," which translates to "Hello, sailor"; it also states that commandment #12,592 of The Land of the Dead religious sect strictly forbids speaking the phrase "Hello, sailor". In all other Zork-related games, saying "Hello, sailor" merits the response "Nothing happens here".
Chatting with nymph
Nymph
A nymph in Greek mythology is a female minor nature deity typically associated with a particular location or landform. Different from gods, nymphs are generally regarded as divine spirits who animate nature, and are usually depicted as beautiful, young nubile maidens who love to dance and sing;...
s in the computer game NetHack
NetHack
NetHack is a single-player roguelike video game originally released in 1987. It is a descendant of an earlier game called Hack , which is a descendant of Rogue...
will sometimes prompt them to say "Hello, sailor".
In the Nintendo DSi downloadable game Pinball Pulse: The Ancients Beckon, the Sirens say "Hello, sailor" when the first ball is locked.
In the second episode of the game Tales of Monkey Island
Tales of Monkey Island
Tales of Monkey Island is a 2009 graphic adventure video game developed by Telltale Games and LucasArts. It is the fifth game in the Monkey Island series, released nearly a decade after the previous installment, Escape from Monkey Island. Developed for Windows and the Wii console, the game was...
, a character named Anemone is introduced as one of the sexually ambiguous mer-people. She constantly greets the main character, Guybrush Threepwood, with "Hello, sailor!", until he asks her to stop.
Additional references in popular culture
In the Gilmore GirlsGilmore Girls
Gilmore Girls is an American family comedy-drama series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. On October 5, 2000, the series debuted on The WB and was cancelled in its seventh season, ending on May 15, 2007 on The CW...
episode "Presenting Lorelai Gilmore," the promiscuous dance teacher, Miss Patty, uses the phrase, "Hello, sailor!" while demonstrating the use of a focal point while spinning around in ballroom dancing:
- Now remember, one of the most important things in ballroom dancing is to remember to spot, otherwise you're gonna get dizzy. So, what you wanna do is you wanna pick out something to focus on. I usually like to find a lonely seaman. Then when turning, whip your head around and find your spot again. [spins around] Hello sailor, hello sailor, hello sailor. Now you try it.
Musician Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse
Amy Jade Winehouse was an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize...
had a tattoo of an anchor with "Hello Sailor" written on it.
See also
- 69,10569105 (number)The number 69,105 was used as an in-joke at the United States computer game manufacturer Infocom. It has occasionally appeared in later computer games as a tribute to Infocom.-Significance of the number:...
, a number that became something of an in-jokeIn-jokeAn in-joke, also known as an inside joke or in joke, is a joke whose humour is clear only to people who are in a particular social group, occupation, or other community of common understanding...
in several Infocom games