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You are here: Home / Language / Where does the expression “as clean as a whistle” come from and What does it mean?

Where does the expression “as clean as a whistle” come from and What does it mean?

May 7, 2020 by Karen Hill

Robert Burns, in his poem, “Earnest Cry,” used toom (“empty”) rather than “clean”, “Paint Scotland greetan owre her thrissle; Her mutchkin stoup as toom’s a whissle”, and other writers have had the whistle clear, dry, pure, or other adjective.

The basic intent, however, is to indicate that, for a sweet, pure sound from a whistle or reed, the tube must be clean and dry.

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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