I assume it depends on the countries. Here, whistling is most certainly derogatory. I didn’t even know there were places were whistling was considered as positive (exept when italian men and beautiful women passing by are involved). If I had noticed, say on TV, american people whistling at the end of a concert, I would have assumed they have hated the performance.
By the way, assuming that the UK is an exception in Europe, it doesn’t mean it’s because they’re being “americanized”. It’s very possible that the US actually follow a british tradition by whistling to show appreciation…
Very interesting research, Sparc. Thanks.
There are so many different ways that it is possible for ignorant people to misunderstand what’s going on. Recently, during the concert for the Queen’s 50th jubilee, I was exceedingly upset that there seemed to be so many rude people in the crowd. That’s because they were whistling, and I thought Europeans whistled for disrespect. Interestingly, Clairobscur would have thought the same thing had the concert been in Washington, but Sparc would have thought they were enjoying themselves.
Yeah, I guess it must be a continental thing, then. That would certainly explain why me and Mangetout have never come across it. Those crazy continentals, eh? Whatever next…
FWIW, I’ve interpreted whistling as both “Encore” and “Get off, you’re rubbish” during the same football game – albeit from different ends of the stadium/spectrum.
I agree the ambiguity makes it very confusing.
There’s history to this issue. I believe it’s in Arigo Boito’s opera, Mephistophele (1868), the devil is tormenting someone (hazy memory here), probably Faust, and at the end of the act, he whistles - it’s written into the score - as an act of derision. Maybe today that meaning is shifting and being contaminated by the American version, as a cheer, but at some point, it clearly was an act of criticism. That is all. Over and out.
When I went to the UK in '93 we were told not to whistle because it was considered to be derogatory. When we arrived there, the Scottish family we were bilited with said that wasn’t true… so yeah, it depends on the area of Europe.
We whistle approvingly.
With fingers in mouth. We all must be lower class.
The whistle sounds like men’s whistles at beautiful women. Like: Ooooo, WOW!
We yell: Booooooooo, when we dissaprove.