Suvarna Garge (Editor)

Hello Nurse (vaudeville)

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"Hello, nurse!" was a popular catcall used during the heyday of vaudeville. One of many running gags used in many vaudeville shows was the appearance of a voluptuous, suggestively-dressed woman wearing a nurse's uniform. Upon her appearance, the main characters in the vaudeville sketch would call out, "Hello, nurse!", much to the audience's delight. This phrase is also the basis for the wolf whistle used in the United States and other countries to suggest that a pretty girl has entered the room.

Contemporary usage

  • In the animated series Animaniacs, the catcall is a favorite catchphrase of The Warner Brothers Yakko, Wakko, and sometimes their sister Dot. A supporting character, Hello Nurse, is not only a frequent target of the call, but also named after it.
  • The catchphrase was later used in the British film Valiant, when Ricky Gervais' character enters a medical hut.
  • The Xbox 360 game Vanquish includes an achievement "Helloooo nurse!", awarded to players for reviving 10 marines throughout the course of the game.
  • In the PS3/360 indie fighting game Skullgirls the classic cartoon-based fighter Peacock says this as a custom opening line when battling nurse-based fighter Valentine.
  • Comedian Jeff Garlin uses the expression frequently on his By the Way, in Conversation with Jeff Garlin podcast.
  • Nicktoons series The Penguins of Madagascar Season 2's Episode 18 is entitled "Love Hurts: Hello Nurse" and is about Private's infatuation with nurse Shauna.

    • References

    Hello Nurse (vaudeville) Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA