Whine = Whinge?

[PosterChild]

I've seen a bit of whingeing on the boards and I was wondering how common it is to say "whinge" (pronounced "winj) rather than "whine" (pronounced "wine").

Main Entry: whinge
Pronunciation: 'hwinj, 'winj
Function: intransitive verb
Inflected Form(s): whinged; whing·ing or whinge·ing
Etymology: from (assumed) Middle English, from Old English hwinsian; akin to Old High German winsOn to moan
Date: 12th century
British : to complain fretfully : WHINE

Does that last line mean British use whine? If so where is it common?
Would that joke about a WASP (White AngloSaxon Protestant) wine being, "but I wanted a Beemer, not a Mercedes!" fall flat in England (or wherever) because it's pronounced "whinge?"


PC