Do You Whistle?

[Smith1942]

OK, my dad has always had this habit of whistling....very loudly, very clearly, and the same tuneless musical phrase over and over. I'm soon to return to the States but am currently upstairs with the door shut and earplugs jammed in my ears because otherwise I might commit patricide.

Anyway. It set me thinking, this dreadful, repetitive whistling....He is the only person I ever hear whistle, and he's coming up 74. Do you whistle? Do your friends and colleagues? Or Is it a generational thing? My mother's mother used to whistle. It would never occur to me to go round whistling, and I've never heard my husband whistle either.

Is whistling now something that only people of grandparental age do? Or are we a national of warblers, and I just never notice it? I'm not talking about wolf-whistling at others, I'm talking about whistling a musical phrase....over, and over, and over, in this house anyway...

 

[Dee*Jay]

Smith, not a whistler, but my mother's last husband was a hummer. He passed away a few years ago at 92 so I definitely associate that with an "older person" activity. I think of it as a way to entertain oneself, which furthers the older person thing because there probably weren't a ton of entertainment choices, especially when these people were young and off doing things like working in the garage without the option of an ipod or TV, but now there is so much entertainment all around that that younger people probably don't feel the need for self-entertainment. Does that make any sense?

 

[TooPatient]

I've only ever heard my grandfather (on my father's side) whistle a true whistle. He'd walk around whistling random songs or just whatever.

DH doesn't whistle like a true whistle but does blow air through his teeth to make this horrible whistly sound. He'll go around "whistling" random songs (including classical pieces, opera, show tunes, country, jazz...) or making up his own thing.

Other than those two I've never really heard anyone whistle!

 

[marymm]

My dad used to whistle too - but he whistled songs and we all liked it - he also had a rather distinct whistle-alert that he would sound if we were all in a noisy crowded area and too dispersed for him to call out our names. My pop died in 2000 and his whistling is something I miss about him.

I sometimes whistle, but in my home and while I am doing the dishes or other chores - and my whistling is not nearly as good as my dad's.

My DH never used to whistle, but being exposed to me he now whistles sometimes while doing things around the house.

I quite like it, but if the whistling was tuneless and/or repetitive I am fairly sure it would bother me.

 

[Maisie]

I sometimes whistle along with tunes I hear on tv or the radio but it gets me into huge trouble with my 9 year old son. James is Autistic and he says whistling hurts his ears. He says the same about my singing. I'm not convinced he just isn't being mean because I know I'm a LOVELY singer

 

[JewelFreak]

I think you've hit on it, Smith -- it seems to me it was far more common in earlier generations (WWII & before). Some people do still, but not as much, at least in my experience. I'm with you -- it drives me batty. After a day, almost to murder. Ditto humming. I wonder if old people, not hearing as well, don't realize it's audible to others.

When he got old, my FIL used to babble. Made me nuts! He yammered on & on about nothing -- he wasn't senile, but would go on & on about whatever occurred to him, then another subject, never silent. Driving in the car with him, when he ran out of subjects he would read out loud the names & slogans on all the trucks we passed. I was ready to stuff something in his mouth & gag him.

--- Laurie

 

[packrat]

I used to be able to, a little, the two...I dunno, general whistles? The cat call fweet-fwew and the get your attention whistle fwee-ew-weet hahahaha.

I worked w/a guy years ago who could whistle the Andy Griffith theme and I got the biggest kick out of that.

 

[monarch64]

My mom used to whistle all through the grocery store when I was a kid. Drove me batty. She whistled beautifully, but I thought it was terribly embarrassing. Moooooooommm....

My husband is one of those people who breaks out in song out of nowhere, anywhere, anytime. I am also terribly annoyed by this, which only fuels his intensity.

 

[Skippy123]

oh this is an interesting thing to ponder and I think DeeJay is right. My dad whistles. I couldn't whistle to save my life.

In the Andy Griffith Show the opening is Whistled http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DU5oEgJKgY

Monnie, lol!


I hear people whistle at Games but never Whistle tunes

 

[texaskj]

My dad can whistle Mozart or anything else you can think of. He's 68 and has been at it my whole life. My whistle is pathetic, which is kind of weird since I played flute for nine years.

 

[chrono]

DH enjoys whistling tunes and my Director whistles some unnamed tune mindlessly on and on. I do think it is a generational habit, partly because there wasn't much to do for entertainment way back then. I think my Director is in his 60s.

 

[Anastasia]

My dad (8 whistled when we were kids, but I never found it annoying. He didn't do it all the time, or at inappropriate times. I think it was mostly when he was working around the house.

My mother in law hums constantly. The same unidentifiable tune over and over again. When we mention it to her, she claims she doesn't even know she is doing it. Huh? Drives me nuts.

 

[crown1]

Interesting that some find whistling unusual. When I was growing up every child learned to whistle. I remember teaching my child to whistle as well as other kids in the family. Whistling is like singing, folks seem to do it when they are happy. I am rather surprised someone has not mentioned the Snow White tune, Whistle While You Work. While I find anything done over and over can become annoying I always thought one whistled when joyous or while working at some household task.

I did do a search and found the golden age of whistling was 1930's to the 1950's. It seems Bing Crosby was a noted whistler along with other recording stars of the day.

 

[woofmama]

As soon as I read your opening comments I whistled the entire Andy Griffith tune while I was reading. My DH noticed and said-Andy Griffith, we both love it! I am not a good whistler but enjoy hearing folks whistle, I think it's fun and cheery!

I love singing all of the theme songs from the old TV shows: Addams Family, Beverly Hillbillies, Brady Bunch, Gilligans Island, Mister Ed. Just sing or hum them around the house or when we're out on the motorcycle.

Kinda went a bit off topic there, didn't I?

 

[monarch64]

Thanks a bunch, Crown1. Now I will be whistling Snow White in my head and maybe physically for who knows how long. Gah!

I whistle (not as well as my mom) along to songs while my daughter is playing and watching a TV show with musical numbers. I also sing along often, which at this point causes her to give me a bewildered look and turn away to move on to another toy. I promise I'm not a terrible singer--well, I have a "choir" voice, meaning untrained as a soloist and for good reason. Heh.

 

[rosetta]

My husband can whistle any tune. He's really very good.

I can't even whistle in a straight line

 

[ame]

My dad does, and it's usually a real song, and he's very good at it. He also whistled "for us" when we were kids, a VERY loud, VERY shrill, get your butts back home sound. Kids all over came runnin.

 

[crown1]

Lots of dog folks on here, none of you whistle for them? That was a common practice.

 

[missy]

I cannot whistle at all. And believe me I have tried. I am jealous of all those who can whistle. My dad can but I don't think anyone else in my family can. Maybe it's a genetic trait you have to have like being able to curl your tongue? For the record I cannot sing either.

 

[AGBF]

I am older than many of you (about JewelFreak's age, if I have read the clues correctly). My uncle, who was in the marines during World War II, used to whistle and I don't think any of us in the family disliked it. He never did it inappropriately; he whistled beautiful songs; he could have been on a record or a television show.

Not everyone can whistle. I think that being able to do so is rather an accomplishment, although I might be annoyed if I had to hear mindless whistling or mindless humming for hours. On the other hand, I have gotten used to hours of mindless rap and hip hop in the car, so I doubt it!

Deb/AGBF

 

[AGBF]

I love singing all of the theme songs from the old TV shows: Addams Family, Beverly Hillbillies, Brady Bunch, Gilligans Island, Mister Ed. Just sing or hum them around the house or when we're out on the motorcycle.

I, also, sing around the house. In fact, right before Christmas I sang Christmas carols at the dinner table with my next door neighbors and another woman friend-no musical accompaniment. My husband and daughter have both asked me to sing to them in bed. I still sing to my daughter sometimes if she cannot sleep.

(I don't have a motorcycle.)

Deb/AGBF

 

[woofmama]

I love singing all of the theme songs from the old TV shows: Addams Family, Beverly Hillbillies, Brady Bunch, Gilligans Island, Mister Ed. Just sing or hum them around the house or when we're out on the motorcycle.

I, also, sing around the house. In fact, right before Christmas I sang Christmas carols at the dinner table with my next door neighbors and another woman friend-no musical accompaniment. My husband and daughter have both asked me to sing to them in bed. I still sing to my daughter sometimes if she cannot sleep.

(I don't have a motorcycle.)

Deb/AGBF

Christmas Carols are my favorite! My sister and I sing together at Christmas. She has a beautiful singing voice, I do not.
You must have a lovely singing voice if you are asked to sing! How nice that your husband and daughter ask you to sing to them.
I'm usually asked to stop singing I do enjoy it so I sing regardless and primarily goofy things to match my less than perfect pitch
I go for the comedy factor. I don't drive the motorcycle, DH does, but when I'm on the back he is a captive audience
Perhaps you would like a motorcycle

 

[Indylady]

I can't whistle at all--I wish that I could!

 

[chrono]

My children are better whistlers than I am; I can only whistle 3 notes. I was strongly discouraged from whistling as a child because it wasn't a feminine thing to do.

 

[boerumbiddy]

I heard that verse about "whistling women and crowing hens always come to some bad ends," resented it, and learned to whistle as soon as I could, which turned out to be age 7. I can still remember standing by the vegetable case in the A&P Supermarket and actually whistling! My father, born 1918, was a whistler and was very proud of me. I am quite a good whistler still, in tune and everything. Have never actually performed because my mouth might go dry. My favorite great aunt, a pianist, once accompanied a professional whistler (female), and maybe that's where I got the idea. My favorite whistler is Bing Crosby, on some of his early records.
P.S. I was born in 1947.

 

[Skippy123]

Not everyone can whistle. I think that being able to do so is rather an accomplishment, although I might be annoyed if I had to hear mindless whistling or mindless humming for hours. On the other hand, I have gotten used to hours of mindless rap and hip hop in the car, so I doubt it!

Deb/AGBF

true! I was thinking I like hearing whistling too! My dad is a dear soul so I miss hearing him whistle in the mornings (he is alive but I don't live w/them, hence no morning whistling).


Crown, I love that song, the only one I remembered about whistling was the Andy Griffith! lol

 

[ksinger]

DH enjoys whistling tunes and my Director whistles some unnamed tune mindlessly on and on. I do think it is a generational habit, partly because there wasn't much to do for entertainment way back then. I think my Director is in his 60s.

OK, "way back then"? Nothing much to do for entertainment? The people who are in their 60s NOW, were teens in the 1960's. Not exactly a dull time, you know, with all that free love, drugs, bra-burning, rock and roll, race riots, etc.

It may be generational because it was in vogue or somesuch for about 20 minutes, but I certainly don't recall anyone from the generation right before me saying, "OMG, I was so boredboredboredboredbored, I had to learn to whistle."

And no, I don't whistle. I couldn't whistle my way out of paper bag. I can sing, but no whistle.

 

[AGBF]

My favorite whistler is Bing Crosby, on some of his early records.

I thought the same thing when I read this thread. I had just listened to, "A White Christmas" while listening to the holiday music thread a few days previously and he whistles in that. Beautifully.

Deb

 

[momhappy]

I can whistle, but I don't. It's annoying (typically) and people who do it routinely likely have some sort of nervous "tick" in the form of whistling.

 

[crown1]

I can whistle, but I don't. It's annoying (typically) and people who do it routinely likely have some sort of nervous "tick" in the form of whistling.

This seems a little harsh to me. I do not think people who routinely whistle necessarily have some sort of nervous "tick". While I can not say all don't I do know some whistle for pleasure, when they are happy or whistle a tune the same as one might sing. I can whistle but until this thread had not for a very long time. I tried just to see if I still could. I was able to whistle a tune, no one was annoyed as I am here by myself. I just did a search on whistling and found there is even a language. I believe it has 4000 words. Whistling has been used as a means of communication in many instances. Anything can become annoying. I am glad there are folks who are joyful enough to whistle and if it becomes annoying one can always ask the whistler to give it a break. Just my opinion and you are entitled to yours.