Why do people whistle past a graveyard?
(idiomatic, US) To attempt to stay cheerful in a dire situation; to proceed with a task, ignoring an upcoming hazard, hoping for a good outcome.
What does whistling in the dark mean?
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. [
Why shouldn’t you answer a whistle in a cemetery?
Never whistle in a graveyard, you are summoning the Devil. Never take anything from a cemetery; the dead may follow you to get it back. If there is thunder following a burial, the deceased has reached heaven.
What is whistling in the graveyard?
WHISTLE IN THE DARK – “Be cheerful or optimistic in a situation that doesn’t warrant cheer or optimism. It is a great temptation to try to cheer oneself up by whistling or singing in a dark and lonely place.
What is Dixie whistle?
The song added a new term to the American lexicon: “Whistling ‘Dixie'” is a slang expression meaning “[engaging] in unrealistically rosy fantasizing.” For example, “Don’t just sit there whistling ‘Dixie’!” is a reprimand against inaction, and “You ain’t just whistling ‘Dixie’!” indicates that the addressee is serious …
What is it called when a guy whistles at a girl?
Street harassment, which is more commonly known as “catcalling,” usually entails a loud whistle or comment of a sexual nature made by a man or group of men to a passing woman. …
Are bodies buried 6 feet under?
(WYTV) – Why do we bury bodies six feet under? The six feet under rule for burial may have come from a plague in London in 1665. The Lord Mayor of London ordered all the “graves shall be at least six-foot deep.” Gravesites reaching six feet helped prevent farmers from accidentally plowing up bodies.
Why is the Deep South called Dixie?
According to the most common explanation of the name, $10 notes issued before 1860 by the Citizens’ Bank of New Orleans and used largely by French-speaking residents were imprinted with dix (French: “ten”) on the reverse side—hence the land of Dixies, or Dixie Land, which applied to Louisiana and eventually the whole …
What states are considered Dixie?
Dixie Alley includes eleven American states across the lower Mississippi Valley. These include North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas.
What does cat calling someone mean?
Catcalling is when an individual whistles, shouts, or makes sexual comments toward another individual as they are walking by. Women are often the ones faced with having to deal with this ridiculous issue.
What is a dog whistle meaning?
In politics, a dog whistle is the use of coded or suggestive language in political messaging to garner support from a particular group without provoking opposition. The concept is named for ultrasonic dog whistles used in shepherding, which are audible to dogs but not humans.
What does the idiom whistling past the graveyard mean?
whistle past the graveyard. idiom. informal. : to act or talk as if one is relaxed and not afraid when one is actually afraid or nervous He shows a confident manner, but he may just be whistling past the graveyard.
What does the first meaning of the word whistling mean?
The first connotes a situation in which a person does something (whistling, maybe?) to make of show – to others, or even more commonly, to oneself — of bravery, or at least nonchalance, in the face of danger or difficulties.
What did the graveyard look like in medieval times?
The graveyard was big and sprawling yet stately and park-like, with wandering roads and paths, with ponds and gardens and stands of weeping willows, and with marble statures of grieving angels and sleeping infants.