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whistle in the dark

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whis⋅tle

  [hwis-uhl, wis-] verb, -tled, -tling, noun
Use whistle in the dark in a Sentence
–verb (used without object)
1. to make a clear musical sound, a series of such sounds, or a high-pitched, warbling sound by the forcible expulsion of the breath through a small opening formed by contracting the lips, or through the teeth, with the aid of the tongue.
2. to make such a sound or series of sounds otherwise, as by blowing on some device.
3. to emit similar sounds from the mouth, as birds do.
4. (of a device) to produce a similar sound when actuated by steam or the like: This teakettle whistles when it boils.
5. to move, go, pass, etc., with a whistling or whizzing sound, as a bullet or the wind.
–verb (used with object)
6. to produce by whistling: to whistle a tune.
7. to call, direct, or signal by or as by whistling: He whistled his dog over.
8. to send with a whistling or whizzing sound.
–noun
9. an instrument for producing whistling sounds by means of the breath, steam, etc., as a small wooden or tin tube, a pipe, or a similar device with an air chamber containing a small ball that oscillates when air is forced through an opening, producing a high-pitched, warbling tone.
10. a sound produced by whistling: a prolonged whistle of astonishment.
11. a simple fipple flute.
—Verb phrase
12. whistle for, to demand or expect without success: After promising to pay, he told us we could whistle for our money.
—Idioms
13. blow the whistle, to expose the existence of mischief or wrongdoing: The agent was taking bribes until someone finally blew the whistle.
14. blow the whistle on,
a. to bring a stop to; halt: Congress has blown the whistle on all unnecessary expenditures for the program.
b. to expose (wrongdoing or wrongdoers): to blow the whistle on corruption in high places.
15. wet one's whistle, Informal. to take a drink.
16. whistle in the dark, to attempt to summon up one's courage or optimism in a difficult situation: He says his business will improve next year, but he's probably just whistling in the dark.
Origin:
bef. 950; (v.) ME whistlen, OE hwistlian; akin to ON hvīsla to whistle, hviskra to whisper; see whine; (n.) ME; OE hwistle instrument, akin to the v.

Related forms:
whis⋅tle⋅a⋅ble, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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whis·tle   (hwĭs'əl, wĭs'-)   
v.   whis·tled, whis·tling, whis·tles

v.   intr.

  1. To produce a clear musical sound by forcing air through the teeth or through an aperture formed by pursing the lips.

  2. To produce a clear, shrill, sharp musical sound by blowing on or through a device.

    1. To produce a high-pitched sound when moving swiftly through the air: The stone whistled past my head.

    2. To produce a high-pitched sound by the rapid movement of air through an opening or past an obstruction: Wind whistled through the cracks in the windows.

  4. To emit a shrill, sharp, high-pitched cry, as some birds and other animals.

v.   tr.

  1. To produce by whistling: whistle a tune.

  2. To summon, signal, or direct by whistling.

  3. To cause to move with a whistling noise.

n.  

    1. A small wind instrument for making whistling sounds by means of the breath.

    2. A device for making whistling sounds by means of forced air or steam: a factory whistle.

  2. A sound produced by a whistling device or by whistling through the lips.

  3. A whistling sound, as of an animal or a projectile.

  4. The act of whistling.

  5. A whistling sound used to summon or command.


[Middle English whistlen, from Old English hwistlian.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary
whistle in the dark

  1. in.
    to guess aimlessly; to speculate as to a fact. : She was whistling in the dark. She has no idea of what's going on.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Word Origin & History

whistle  (v.)
O.E. hwistlian, from P.Gmc. *khwis-, of imitative origin. Used also in M.E. of the hissing of serpents. The noun meaning "tubular musical instrument" is from O.E. hwistle. To wet one's whistle "take a drink" (c.1386) originally may have referred to pipes, or be an allusion to the throat as a sort of pipe. To whistle for (with small prospect of getting) is probably from nautical whistling for a wind. Figurative use of whistle-blower first attested 1970. To whistle "Dixie" is from 1940. Phrase clean as a whistle is recorded from 1878; railroad whistle stop (at which trains stop only if the engineer hears a signal from the station) is recorded from 1934.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Idioms & Phrases

whistle in the dark

Summon up courage in a frightening situation, make a show of bravery. For example, They knew they were lost and were just whistling in the dark. This expression alludes to a literal attempt to keep up one's courage. [First half of 1900s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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