Pipe down, meaning “shush,” comes from the days when a ship’s bosun (or bo’s’n or bos’n, also known as a boatswain), would actually blow a whistle to tell the rest of the crew that the wind had shifted or a certain action needed to take place. This...
Finding that special bottle of wine can be tough, and even tougher if you’re not fluent in winespeak. “Strawberries, rhubarb, and hints of leather are present in the nose.” Say what? Plus, many folks wish each other “Merry Christmas.” But why don’t...
If something’s clean as a whistle, that doesn’t mean it’s shiny and spotless like a silver whistle in a referee’s mouth. The idiom refers to a whistling sound: That piercing noise is super-bright and finely edged on the ear. This is part of a...
spara-spara n.— «Soweto youths aren’t alone in their crazy train-surfing habits.…Typically spurred on by whistles and admiring female looks, young train surfers will…run noisily along platforms (“spara-spara”).» —“The Big Picture: Train Surfing” by...
whistle-tip n.— «A “whistle-tip” is a device that is applied to, or is a modification of, a motor vehicle’s exhaust pipe for the sole purpose of creating a high-pitched or shrieking noise when the motor vehicle is operated.» —“Exhaust Systems:...
pea whistle n.— «Doing a do-si-do: Swinging a large steel beam 180 degrees from the direction it’s going. Pea whistle: Same as a do-si-do (derivation unknown).» —“Chicago Speak” by Anne Keegan Chicago Tribune Feb. 3, 1994. (source: Double-Tongued...
