0
Usenet Posted 17 years ago
Usage
Whistling in the wind
I was asked about the meaning of "whistling in the wind" in the following sentence and my reply was that "if you whistle in the wind, no one is able to hear it. so you are basically making a futile attempt". Is my interpretation correct? I was told later by somebody that a native speaker of English told him that "whistling in the wind" means "to console or encourage (people in trouble)". I don't think such interpretation is correct. What do you think?
The original sentence is: The official forecasts from Beijing that growth will hit 8% this year may turn out to be propagandist whistling in the wind, but the confidence is there. The World Bank reckons that
6.5% is more likely. Even that would be a sharp contrast to theperformance of the west and Japan.
The original sentence is: The official forecasts from Beijing that growth will hit 8% this year may turn out to be propagandist whistling in the wind, but the confidence is there. The World Bank reckons that
6.5% is more likely. Even that would be a sharp contrast to theperformance of the west and Japan.
Top answer
[nq:1]I was asked about the meaning of "whistling in the wind" in the following sentence and my reply was that ... wind" means "to console or encourage (people in trouble)". I don't think such interpretation is correct.
- [nq:1]I was asked about the meaning of "whistling in the wind" in the following sentence and my reply was that ...
- wind" means "to console or encourage (people in trouble)".
- I don't think such interpretation is correct.
- [/nq] I think you are right and your "somebody" is wrong.
- "Whistling in the wind" is an expression that is used to indicate doing something that is a brave attempt, but a futile endeavor.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
2 Answers
0
[nq:1]I was asked about the meaning of "whistling in the wind" in the following sentence and my reply was that ... wind" means "to console or encourage (people in trouble)". I don't think such interpretation is correct. What do you think?[/nq]
I think you are right and your "somebody" is wrong. "Whistling in the wind" is an expression that is used to indicate doing something that is a brave at
I think you are right and your "somebody" is wrong. "Whistling in the wind" is an expression that is used to indicate doing something that is a brave at
00
[nq:1]I was told later by somebody that a native speaker of English told him that "whistling in the wind" means "to console or encourage (people in trouble)".[/nq]
He was thinking of "whistling in the dark", I would guess. Best wishes,
He was thinking of "whistling in the dark", I would guess. Best wishes,
0
Related Questions