The phrase wolf ticket is a corruption of an African-American slang expression for the practice of verbal intimidation, "sellin' (or passin' out) woof tickets," that was misinterpreted by whites. Over time, the misnomer has become accepted terminology.

"Woofing," or "woofin'," like "signifyin'" and "talkin' trash," is part of the African-American oral tradition. The term is derived from the onomatopoeic expression of the sound of, for instance, a junkyard dog barking to ward off potential intruders.

"Sellin' woof tickets" is engaging in threatening or intimidating verbal aggression, usually without the intent of actually doing physical harm. In West African and African-American cultures, verbal sparring and physical displays traditionally were employed as proxies for physical violence to preserve life and maintain peace and order. Woofin' also can be a means of "calling someone out," of challenging an opponent to a verbal or physical match.

See the dozens.

A wolf ticket is also a counterfeit ticket or bogus entry pass to an event, like a rock concert or an athletic contest, sold by a scalper.

Russia

One may also encounter the term "wolf ticket" as a literal translation of the Russian language term волчий билет (volchiy bilet), a colloquial expression to denote a version of a document with restrictive clauses in comparison to the full document.

Originally the term was used in Imperial Russia to denote a document issued in lieu of the passport to persons who were given a half-year postponement of katorga or exile for settling personal affairs.

Later, in Russia and Soviet Union it denoted a limited certificate for completion of studies. Unlike a regular diploma, it merely stated that the studies were completed, but the student was not allowed to take exams for reasons of poor study or improper behavior. A "wolf ticket" was a serious impediment to the career.

Still later this term was applied to a document in place of passport issued to persons released from imprisonment ("certificate of release"). Usually this kind of document restricted the rights of a citizen in terms of place of residence (see 101st kilometre), occupation, etc.