1809. Malkin, Gil Blas [Routledge], 144. If an angel from heaven were to whisper wisdom in one ear, and your cousin her mortal chit-chat in the other, I am afraid the angel might whistle for an audience.
1849-61. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xiii. Ready at his whistle to array themselves round him in arms against the commander in chief.
1863. Gaskell, Sylvia's Lovers, iv. If Measter Cholmley don't do what I ax him, he may go whistle for my vote, he may.
1901. Walker, In the Blood, 161. 'Well, I will,' replied Jim, 'when I've wet my whistle.'
Whistle-belly-vengeance,
subs. phr. (common).—Bad beer,
swipes (q.v.); hence indifferent
lap (q.v.) of any kind: cf. whip-belly-vengeance.
1861. Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxford, xli. 'I thought you wouldn't appreciate the widow's tap?' said East, watching him with a grin: 'regular whistle-belly vengeance, and no mistake.'
Whistle-cup, subs. phr, (common).—A
drinking-cup with a
whistle attached: the last toper
capable of using the whistle
received the cup as a prize. Also
a tankard fitted with a whistle, so
arranged as to sound when the
vessel was emptied, thus warning
the drawer that more liquor was
required.
Whistle-drunk, adj. phr. (old).—Very
drunk indeed.
1749. Fielding, Tom Jones, xii. ii. He was indeed, according to the vulgar phrase, whistle-drunk; for before he had swallowed the third bottle, he became so entirely overpowered, that though he was not carried off to bed till long after, the parson considered him as absent.
Whistle-jacket, subs. phr. (provincial).—Small
beer.
Whistler, subs. (common).—1.
A broken-winded horse, a
roarer (q.v.).
2. (common).—An unlicensed vendor of spirits. Hence whistling-shop = an illicit dram-shop.
1837. Dickens, Pickwick, xlv. The turnkey knows beforehand, and gives the word to the whistlers, and you may whistle for it wen you go to look. Ibid. A whistling-shop, sir, is where they sell spirits.
Whistling- (or Puffing-) billy,
subs. phr. (common).—A locomotive.
Whistling-breeches, subs. phr.
(common).—Corduroy trousers.
Whit, subs. (Old Cant).—A
prison: see Cage: spec. Newgate.
1676. Warening for Housekeepers [Farmer, Musa Pedestris (1896), 30]. O then they rub us to the whitt.
1724. Harper, Harlequin Sheppard. He broke thro' all rubbs in the whitt.
White, subs. (common).—1. In pl.
= leucorrhœa.
2. (old).—In pl. = white clothes, vestments, or goods.
1644. Heylin, Life of Laud, 262. The Dean of our chappel . . . in his whites.
d. 1655. Adams, Works, ii. 174. You clothe Christ with your blacks on earth, he will clothe you with his glorious whites in heaven.
1724-7. Defoe, Tour Through Great Britain, i. 324. Long cloths for the Turkey trade called Salisbury whites.
1888. Bicycling News, 14 July, 19. Unless a man can combine cycling and boating, he should never . . . ride his machine in whites.
