Whistling

mike killay

Esteemed Pedelecer
Feb 17, 2011
3,012
1,629
Is it just my imagination, or did people used to whistle a lot more when they worked 50 years ago?
(Apologies to the kids!!)
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
53,157
30,573
Is it just my imagination, or did people used to whistle a lot more when they worked 50 years ago?
(Apologies to the kids!!)
They definitely did, as Walt Disney recognised back then. Remember the seven dwarves in Snow White singing "Whistle while you work".

So why did people whistle? I think it was probably a forced cheerfulness in an era when life and work were much tougher, often very boring and with little or no reward.

Today we live lives full of reward and packed with interest, even though few like to admit it, so the need or even the opportunity to whistle are greatly reduced.
 

Croxden

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 26, 2013
2,134
1,384
North Staffs
To much music via radio, tv and the like.

But no one would whistles rap.
 

smudger1956

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 26, 2012
519
3
West London
I have a whistler at work, he is the oldest member of staff, at my works we used to have a 6 week plant maintenance shut down, during this period, all day every day our Dennis kept us amused with his renditions.
We discovered you could 'program' him by whistling your self, things like the Great Escape theme, Indiana Jones theme, Dambusters theme, Lawrence of Arabia theme, give it a while...and sure enough he would be whistling one of those themes.....
 

john h

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 22, 2012
510
147
murthly castle estate
as a child in my grandmothers my grandfather on coming in from work had a tune he whistled coming up the stairs, it was to tell her to put the kettle on .
 

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