Whistling

[derekpara]

I have whistled when in a good mood for as long as I can remember but now seem to be the only whistler left on the planet. Why ?

Oh, I'm 72 years old. Thats a clue.

[ermintrude35]

..see this is my theory, years ago if you wanted to listen to music on the go you either sang hummed or whistled, since the late 70s early 80s with the advent of the walkman and boomb boxes , up until now with our discmans and ipods and even mobile phones that play our music for us...our machines play our music for us..shame really, our old milkman and postie used to whistle all the time, now we dont have a milkman and the postie is plugged into his earphones... I never could whistle it's more of a raspberry noise... oh and I'm 36.. (thats not a clue)

[Mattk]

i work in an office and am a singer rather than a whistler ! altho im sure my workmates would argue that point !

[BillyBB]

Lots of tradesmen still practice the art of flat whistling, especially when annoyed by a customer or thirsty. This progresses to a little whistle/cough when really dry or the householder brews just for themselves.

[berol]

The Street singer Arthur Tracey "the Whistling Waltz .Imet Arthur Tracey at Birmingham Hippodrome and he still didn`t need a mike to reach the back What a man I love all his songs Marta ,Trees ,

[Chillum]

I don't mind the odd toot. Always have, always will, hopefully - For some reason I often find myself whistling theme tunes from old TV shows. I'm 41, my son and I both whistle as we walk down to his school in the morning, it's in the genes.

[Eastender]

Are you Whistling Jack Smith famous for I was kaiser bills batman????

[littleoldme]

Ah, tuneless whistling (i.e. the whistling of random notes just for the sake of whistling, rather than whistling an actual tune).

Thanks. You've just reminded me of something else to add the next time the question of "what would you put into Room 101?" comes up :O)

[derekpara]

Thanks, everyone for your interesting inputs.

Ermintrude35,your old postie and milkman are probably of my vintage - and there's another clue. Nothing wrong with raspberrying. Spike Milligan achieved greatness on disc, don't forget.

Singing in the office,Mattk, could be a H&S risk (flying rulers, staplers etc.) Whistling is safer and more ananymous.

You're right,BillyB, lubrication is essential for effective whistling.  Arthur Tracy used the fingers- in- the- mouth technique, I believe,berol, quite different and more strident than my preferred, more amateur, pursed lips - but better than nothing. Keep on tooting, Chillum and son. Whistling in the street is a good recruiting ploy.

No, I'm not, Eastender - but not a bad guess.

If I heard a tuneless whistler, littleoldme, he/she would surely be below middle age, for therein lies the answer to my question. Modern popular music has no melody. I defy anyone to whistle a complete verse of any No1 hit for the past twnety years. No, melody has gone and with it Whistling, Community singing, Lullabies. Ah me, time for my cocoa - but one more fix from a 78 first.

[THECORBYLOON]

derekpara I'm 43 and I've always whistled (I've often been complimented on ma tunefulness) Years ago one of ma neighbours had a Trimphone (wi the warbling ringtone) and I could whistle the ringtone. Many a time he'd be in his back garden and I'd whisle the ringtone, he'd hurry to answer it and then return threatening to "kill that @*&!! bird!" and he still doesn't know it was me.