whistling in the dark

[Charles Doyle]

Cf. "whistling Dixie" (133,000 Google hits; 42,800 for "whistle Dixie").

--Charlie
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---- Original message ----
>Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2006 12:48:25 -0500
>From: Alison Murie <sagehen at WESTELCOM.COM>
>Subject: whistling in the dark
>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>
>Tom Edsel, on  NPR's "On Point" this morning used the phrase "whistling in the dark" in a context that strongly suggested that he meant something like "building castles in the air" rather than warding off fear of the dark by faking insouciance.  Has the meaning of this old expression morphed into a new sort of Panglossianism?
>AM

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