Do You Whistle?

[Foofoogal]

When I was a child it was the norm for men to whistle and women to sing. My mother used to tell me when I would whistle. "A whistling girl and a crowing hen, soon come to no good end." Have no idea where that crazy saying comes from as a hen cannot crow. Women were supposed to sing and if they were not singing something was wrong with Mama you know.

I do love to hear anyone whistling though but it is a lost art. I mastered it as a child and love to play around with different ones. So does anyone whistle?

 

[KY Gentleman]

I'm a big whistler! I don't realize I'm doing it most times either. Its been contagious to my co-workers as the guys I work with often join in!

 

[Viper Man]

I'm a whistler and have been told that I have perfect pitch.

 

[Lulu-in-Ny]

I can't, and I can't even fathom how people can accomplish this. Is it a learned talent? Or are you just born able to do it?[huh]

 

[MrNewportCustom]

I can whistle, but not very well. My father, though, had a beautiful whistle. I used to build models next to him, and he'd whistle along with the radio. It was a beautiful sound. I can only wish to have a whistle as beautiful sounding as his was. One of the little things I miss most about him.


Lee

 

[Fridaynight]

Whistling definitely isn't something you're born with. I couldn't whistle for a long time, until one day I decided I wanted to figure it out. Was horrible at first, but now I'm pretty good. Still can't figure out how to do that loud whistle using fingers in your mouth though.

Same thing with snapping my fingers, could never make it work, till one day I felt like trying till I got it.

 

[jayem]

Constantly. I can also whistle at this weird, higher than normal pitch. I haven't met another person who can do it, yet. My mom tells me my grandpa used to whistle constantly, so she thinks of him whenever I do it.

 

[The Wolf]

I am the whistler and I walk by night.
I do whistle quite a bit, music has to come out of me. Granted I'm no Elmo Tanner but I'm okay at it.

Sincerely,
The Wolf

 

[dollydaydream]

I try to whistle it just sounds squeeky

I wander round humming an awful lot (lets say constantly) because I can't sing either!

 

[Nick D]

I whistle and hum and sing to myself all the time. I couldn't whistle until coming home from seeing the movie 'Iron Will', and I was trying to do the sled dog call from it. I got it, much to my suprise. Now I'm pretty good at it. My uncle can do this weird whistle that sounds like two people whistling at once, or like a bird call.

 

[Smuterella]

"A whistling girl and a crowing hen, soon come to no good end." Have no idea where that crazy saying comes from as a hen cannot crow.

where does it come from, good old binary gender stereotypes and just a touch of homophobia I think. i.e. if a hen is crowing its not really female and therefore wrong.

I can't whistle very well, nor sing really.

 

[duggap]

I can't, and I can't even fathom how people can accomplish this. Is it a learned talent? Or are you just born able to do it?[huh]

I think it has to do with the teeth. For years I was able to, but then I had radiation on my face and it caused me to have to have my front teeth capped and now I can't do it anymore.[huh] My co-workers say they are glad.lol

 

[LizzieMaine]

I whistle a lot -- I can even do those trick Al Jolson tremolos and trills. I learned to do it when I was very young -- anyone who's heard me sing will understand that whistling is a far more acceptable alternative. I never heard that girls weren't supposed to do it -- but then, I had an aunt who wore pants, smoked three packs a day of Lucky Strikes, and worked as a longshoreman. She probably whistled, too.

 

[olive bleu]

I'm a very good whistler. I think i started doing it when i was little from imitating my Dad,who was an amazing whistler. But, my Grandmother , who lived with us, believed it was very unladylike and hated it..(I should really start practicing again , now that i am a grownup and can do what i like

 

[JohnnyGringo]

LOVE to whistle

I love to whistle and have been able to do so since I was a kid. I don't believe that I have perfect pitch, but I do think I whistle in tune when whistling with tunes on the radio, etc., and I also find myself whistling harmony lines with vocals and horn lines. The biggest whistling compliment I've had was when my office co-worker said "When you whistle it reminds me of my Dad, I loved to listen to him whistle when I was a kid." She just turned sixty, (and looks fabulous for 60 I may add) so needless to say, childhood for her was a while ago. That made me happy. Gee, and up to that point I always thought my whistling was something that likely only distracted others...

 

[imported_the_librarian]

I sure do.....not that I'm that good, but it's a lotta fun. What I really like to do is whistle big band standards and see if anybody picks up on the tune. I actually had a person come up once and ask me what tune I was whistling.

I'm currently trying to figure out how to whistle Pennsylvania 6500. I think I've got Straighten Up and Fly Right down pretty good.

 

[Twitch]

Nope. Never was a good whistler. Haven't since I was a kid except for rare occarssion of getting the attention of a pet.

 

[metropd]

A few months ago I came back from Houston.

I was told of the HORRORS of whistling while looking in the wrong direction when talking to some old brotha's in Houston. It was called "reckless eyeballin" and these cats could get clubbed or lynched! This was up into the 1970's!
just thought I would share some history.

If you were to whistle look down at nothing and do it Submissively.

 

[Snookie]

I'm a rather good whistler. I played trumpet while growing up, and I think getting the right pitch is a similar technique - as far as I can tell, it has to do with the tongue.

My husband can do those loud wolf whistles, I can't do them at all.

I don't feel especially feminine when whistling, but I'm focusing on making music.

 

[Dixon Cannon]

No, but Ian Anderson does...

The Whistler

Ill buy you six bay mares to put in your stable ---
Six golden apples bought with my pay.
I am the first piper who calls the sweet tune,
But I must be gone by the seventh day.
So come on, Im the whistler.
I have a fife and a drum to play.
Get ready for the whistler.
I whistle along on the seventh day ---
Whistle along on the seventh day.

All kinds of sadness Ive left behind me.
Manys the day when I have done wrong.
But Ill be yours for ever and ever.
Climb in the saddle and whistle along.

So come on, Im the whistler.
I have a fife and a drum to play.
Get ready for the whistler.
I whistle along on the seventh day ---
Whistle along on the seventh day.

Deep red are the sun-sets in mystical places.
Black are the nights on summer-day sands.
Well find the speck of truth in each riddle.
Hold the first grain of love in our hands.​

-dixon cannon