Whistle

“as clean as a WHISTLE ,” neatly, or “slickly done,” as an American would say; “To whet (or more vulgarly wet) one’s WHISTLE ,” to take a drink. This last is a very old expre ion. Chaucer says of the Miller of Trumping ton’s wife ( Canterbury Tales , 4153)— “So was hir joly WHISTAL well y-wet.” “To WHISTLE for anything,” to stand small chance of getting it, from the nautical custom of WHISTLING for a wind in a calm, which of course comes none the sooner for it. “To pay for one’s WHISTLE ,” to pay extravagantly for any fancy.