# "Dog whistle" phrase? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 10, 2016, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-whistle-phrase/748503 "2016-03-10T02:07:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-whistle-phrase/748503/1 "2016-03-10T02:07:35Z")
All of a sudden I hear/read people say “dog whistle”. Is this new or did I somehow miss it for a long time? It means speaking in a sort of code. Or maybe it just got a lot more popular? ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-whistle-phrase/748503/2 "2016-03-10T02:10:54Z")
The _Oxford English Dictionary_ has media citations for the phrase (in the sense of “_Polit_. A statement or expression which in addition to its ostensible meaning has a further interpretation or connotation intended to be understood only by a specific target audience”) going back as far as 1995: > [@](#): > > 1995 _Ottawa Citizen_ 15 Oct. a9/1 On the lips of Premier Mike Harris, the term ‘special interest’ has the tone of epithet. It’s an all-purpose dog-whistle that those fed up with feminists, minorities, the undeserving poor hear loud and clear. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-whistle-phrase/748503/3 "2016-03-10T02:30:32Z")
Rationalwiki’s [entry](http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Dog-whistle_politics) ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-whistle-phrase/748503/4 "2016-03-10T02:42:48Z")
It gets used a lot whenever there’s an election going on. If you’re not following politics the rest of the time, you won’t notice the term being used. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-whistle-phrase/748503/5 "2016-03-10T04:20:53Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > It gets used a lot whenever there’s an election going on. If you’re not following politics the rest of the time, you won’t notice the term being used. It has been used a lot regardless of the season, to describe the speech of talk show hosts too. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-whistle-phrase/748503/6 "2016-03-10T12:43:56Z")
Would that be political talk shows, or other kinds of talk shows? Not much dog whistling on ESPN’s all-day sports yak-yak for example. Someone who doesn’t follow politics all the time is someone who doesn’t listen/watch political talk shows. ---
**Author:** ![Goofus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7feea3/32.png) [@Goofus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Goofus)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-whistle-phrase/748503/7 "2016-03-10T13:59:59Z")
Here’s an article from 2004 on the use of the Dred Scott case as a dog whistle: [http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/17/weekinreview/speaking-in-the-tongue-of-evangelicals.html](http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/17/weekinreview/speaking-in-the-tongue-of-evangelicals.html) > [@](#): > > The potential double meaning rekindled speculation among Mr. Bush’s critics that he communicates with his conservative Christian base with a dog-whistle of code words and symbols, deliberately incomprehensible to secular liberals. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-whistle-phrase/748503/8 "2016-03-10T14:25:46Z")
You missed it for a long time. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-whistle-phrase/748503/9 "2016-03-10T17:46:26Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Would that be political talk shows, or other kinds of talk shows? Not much dog whistling on ESPN’s all-day sports yak-yak for example. Someone who doesn’t follow politics all the time is someone who doesn’t listen/watch political talk shows. I am not referring to the use of the term on shows themselves. If you were aware of the news, maybe listened to commentators about popular culture, pundits, aggregators, PBS, NPR, etc. there has been talk about the use of dog whistles **by these talk show hosts** for a long time. How politically engaged do you have to be to have heard them? Just that much. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-whistle-phrase/748503/10 "2016-03-10T18:24:40Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > All of a sudden I hear/read people say “dog whistle”. > > Is this new or did I somehow miss it for a long time? It means speaking in a sort of code. Or maybe it just got a lot more popular? Dog whistles have been around for a really long time. Using the term “dog whistle” to describe some super-duper, top-secret political code words and phrases is relatively new. They start with the assumption that the words, and phrases, must mean something other than what the speaker is actually saying. You’ve probably noticed that the people claiming to hear these “dog whistles” are not the original speakers, or their intended audiences. It’s the opposition who hears these alleged “dog whistles”. And it’s the opposition who will gladly supply you with their version of the “true” meaning of the words and phrases in question. For example, “States Rights” has been considered by some to be a common “dog whistle” phrase. States rights originated with the founding of the U.S.A. by thirteen former British colonies. The thirteen independent states chose to grant specific powers to a central government. The remaining powers remained with the States as rights of the states and was addressed by the 10th Amendment - _The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States, respectively, or to the people_. Does “States Rights” mean anything other than the rights of state governments not delegated to the federal government? No. However, over the last couple of hundred years, the rights of the state government vs the federal government has been clarified in various courts. I don’t recognize the term “states rights” as a “dog whistle” of any kind. Other opinions may differ. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-whistle-phrase/748503/11 "2016-03-10T19:14:07Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > Dog whistles have been around for a really long time. Using the term “dog whistle” to describe some super-duper, top-secret political code words and phrases is relatively new. They start with the assumption that the words, and phrases, must mean something other than what the speaker is actually saying. > > You’ve probably noticed that the people claiming to hear these “dog whistles” are not the original speakers, or their intended audiences. It’s the opposition who hears these alleged “dog whistles”. And it’s the opposition who will gladly supply you with their version of the “true” meaning of the words and phrases in question. > > For example, “States Rights” has been considered by some to be a common “dog whistle” phrase. States rights originated with the founding of the U.S.A. by thirteen former British colonies. The thirteen independent states chose to grant specific powers to a central government. The remaining powers remained with the States as rights of the states and was addressed by the 10th Amendment - > _The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States, respectively, or to the people_. > > Does “States Rights” mean anything other than the rights of state governments not delegated to the federal government? No. > > However, over the last couple of hundred years, the rights of the state government vs the federal government has been clarified in various courts. > > I don’t recognize the term “states rights” as a “dog whistle” of any kind. Other opinions may differ. Yes, generally the “dog whistle” is entirely within the ears of the beholder. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-whistle-phrase/748503/12 "2016-03-10T23:15:06Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > … > Does “States Rights” mean anything other than the rights of state governments not delegated to the federal government? No. > > However, over the last couple of hundred years, the rights of the state government vs the federal government has been clarified in various courts. > > I don’t recognize the term “states rights” as a “dog whistle” of any kind. Other opinions may differ. Actually, this is a perfect example of a 1960’s-era dog whistle, although it was not named as such at the time. Your definition of “states rights” is perfectly correct. However, whenever it came out of the mouth of a southern politician (say, George Wallace or Lester Maddox) it was a dog whistle that meant “the right of the states to segregate as they wish, and the federal government can go to hell”. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-whistle-phrase/748503/13 "2016-03-11T02:18:59Z")
Barack Hussein Obama ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-whistle-phrase/748503/14 "2016-03-11T04:22:16Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > Actually, this is a perfect example of a 1960’s-era dog whistle, although it was not named as such at the time. > > Your definition of “states rights” is perfectly correct. However, whenever it came out of the mouth of a southern politician (say, George Wallace or Lester Maddox) it was a dog whistle that meant “the right of the states to segregate as they wish, and the federal government can go to hell”. So, based upon \*your perception \*of their politics, the phrase is a “dog-whistle” ?:dubious: ---
**Author:** ![SmartAlecCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SmartAlecCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAlecCat)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-whistle-phrase/748503/15 "2016-03-11T12:40:44Z")
My favorite is “family values”, which sounds very innocuous (and even positive) for those not aware of the real code meaning (which seems to be almost the opposite of the apparent meaning). (I learned a new one this election season too – “New York Values”) ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-whistle-phrase/748503/16 "2016-03-11T17:38:28Z")
“Black Lives Don’t matter” is a real dog whistle to me. That’s me though. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-whistle-phrase/748503/17 "2016-03-11T17:45:54Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Barack Hussein Obama [Mmm. . . mmm. . . mmm. . . .](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3TKMKbifgQ) ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-whistle-phrase/748503/18 "2016-03-11T17:51:37Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > So, based upon \*your perception \*of their politics, the phrase is a “dog-whistle” ?:dubious: It goes without saying. The whole point of the dog whistle is that the speaker knows his audience, and the audience understands where the speaker is coming from, and they can communicate obliquely. So yeah: perception is key. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-whistle-phrase/748503/19 "2016-03-11T18:12:43Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Would that be political talk shows, or other kinds of talk shows? Not much dog whistling on ESPN’s all-day sports yak-yak for example. Someone who doesn’t follow politics all the time is someone who doesn’t listen/watch political talk shows. Dog whistle is a term I hear all the time outside of politics. As someone who in general has to deal with a lot of racism, I generally hear the term used to refer to racist people dancing around their nonsense. I hear it less often in political discussions than as a just general reference to poorly coded language. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-whistle-phrase/748503/20 "2016-03-11T19:51:45Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > It goes without saying. The whole point of the dog whistle is that the speaker knows his audience, and the audience understands where the speaker is coming from, and they can communicate obliquely. So yeah: perception is key. Assuming that something “goes without saying” is itself a poor assumption. Clarity often requires that things must be said. While I’m sure that the opposition knows that a dog whistle has been issued, it doesn’t seem clear that the speaker or the intended audience are aware that a dog whistle has been issued. If only the opposition is aware that a dog whistle has been issued, has a dog whistle actually been issued? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-whistle-phrase/748503.md?page=2)