Is whistling dying out ?

PS If it dies out it dies out. Shrug. <wish radio noise and muzak would bloody die out>

Used to whistle a lot. When I was about eleven my mum knew when I was walking down the lane we lived on because she heard my whistling as I walked down it.

I'd much rather hear workmen whistling than them a have a blaring radio going. Constant radio noise does my head in. It's mechanical and lacks natural pauses that human noise, even whistling, has.

When I read the posts of the haters and loathers of whistling (see above in the thread), I thought "Blimey! and I thought I was hyper-sensitive to noise!"

My brother-in-law is always whistling. it drives my sister mad. She is constantly saying 'STOP BLOODY WHISTLING' to him. He is a cheery soul by nature so I rather like it.

I hate it too. Younger men don't seem to do it, but men of my grandparents' age did it a lot. As many workmen seem incapable of working alone without some kind of noise, my theory is that they did it when alone to stop feeling less lonely, but women were told it was unladylike. As the years passed and portable and car radios abounded, we have now entered a time of workmen leaving the van radios on at full blast and singing along to pop songs instead, while many women have the radio or a tv in the kitchen.

I loathe whistling - its like nails down a blackboard to me. DH has a little whistle when he thinks I cant hear. His theory is I don't like it because I cant do it. Mine is that my mother used to whistle all the time and quite often over nice pieces of music- I could have strangled her.

My Dad used to whistle. He was a postman and often had people saying they love to hear him as he delivered their letters. He did whistle proper tunes though not just random notes. Have to confess I do find my self whistling as I do house work or other things but, only when I am on my own.

I whistle. It used to be through my front teeth but the little gap has strangely closed up over recent years so it's more like a raspberry . I now whistle in the usual manner by pursing my lips and blowing. Very satisfying!

I'm afraid I whistle quite a lot - always have. My mother hated it, which only made me want to do it more!

Our son, who cannot speak (although makes quite a lot of noise) quite happily whistles! I don't always catch it being deaf, but he obviously enjoys himself, not sure if he whistles a happy tune, or just does it because he enjoys it. For me, it is a pleasure to know that he can make a sound which he likes.

have always been able to whistle (one note!!) since childhood which is invaluable with calling/recalling 'lurch' so it must be at the right pitch for his doggy ears.
my son can whistle a tune and now grandson can also whistle quite well.
have always thought whistling a tune or more than one note is a male accomplishment (something to do with their physiology

I was wondering that myself lately. I dont hear it as much as I used to.

Ana there was an article in one of the papers recently and it was mentioned on the radio, that the art of whistling was dying out.

On another thread Ana you mentioned Boots cucumber cleanser, well I bought some and it is lovely and refreshing, thanks.

I can't whistle.
My DH sometimes whistles along with a tune on the car radio and I have to say I find it a very happy sound.

My 5 year old DGS has recently discovered he is quite a good whistler,much to the disgust of his 2 older sisters who have tried for years and can't do it. He can actually hold a tune too. He is so proud of himself he is walking around, hands in pockets whistling away.

Just to try to make a point clear, I love that whistling song thing by Roger Whittaker.

I can only manage a whistle on the in, instead of the out.

However, here comes confession time! I CANNOT STAND the random whistling done by a certain type of old man. It drives me potty to the extent that I would like to strangle them.

DH whistles, Ronnie Ronalde never had to worry about the competition though

Oh I am so envious boheminan - I've never been able to do the two-fingers-in-the-mouth whistle. I used to try so hard as a youngster but it just never happened

You're right, I rarely hear it now.

Oops, sorry, I didn't mean that sort of whistling, nor did I mean to imply that it was only workmen who whistled while they worked!

I was not RC I mean. The convent was.

I was sent to a convent school when I was eight (not RC) and being a tomboy I'd been honing my whistling skills since I was a toddler. Ronnie Ronalde would have been proud of me. Every time I was caught whistling in the corridor the nuns would make me stand outside in the rain because, according to them, Our Lady was hanging her head in shame at my behaviour.

I didn't last long at that school

Why do you ask, *NanKate? Has some survey or other suggested that whistling's dying out?

It certainly doesn't seem to be as commonplace as it used to be - possibly because all the workmen I come across seem to have their radios blasting out at top volume.

Interesting subject NanKate. I've seen and heard a blind guy that regularly busks locally, whistling to perfection - he makes enough money to live by. It's a sad fact that folk don't whistle so much now. I personally think that's sad. I can whistle a tune AND chirrup/screech with two fingers in the mouth but my children wouldn't have a clue as to how to do it

I'm not so good at whistling these days as I was. The fellow next door whistles a lot, always sounds happy, but it makes me smile because I read once many years ago that a man who whistles has something to hide .