whistle at

whistle at (someone or something)

1. To express one's desire for someone or something by making a loud whistling sound. Considered rude or lewd if done toward a person. There's a group of men who sit on their porches and whistle at me everyday when I walk to work. I stopped and whistled at my friend's fancy new sports car.
2. To express one's enthusiastic approval or appreciation of someone or something by whistling loudly or wildly. Everyone in the audience was whistling at the band after the superb concert. We all applauded and whistled at the announcement of the winner.
See also: whistle
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

whistle at someone or something

to indicate approval or disapproval of someone or something by whistling. The men whistled at the beautiful woman who walked by. Everyone whistled at the enormous roast of beef the cook's assistant carried in.
See also: whistle
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

whistle at

v.
1. To express admiration or desire for someone or something by whistling: The construction crew whistled at passersby.
2. To express approval or disapproval of someone or something by whistling: The audience whistled at the performers.
See also: whistle
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • whistle at (someone or something)
  • whistle for
  • take a whack at (someone or something)
  • take a whack at someone/something
  • take a whack at something
  • (Do) you kiss your grandmother with that mouth?
  • (Do) you kiss your granny with that mouth?
  • grandmother
  • granny
  • square up against (someone or something)
References in periodicals archive
Meanwhile, a load of DLT followers ruminate about how the world's gone potty if you can't whistle at a pretty girl these days.
When he blew the whistle at Olympus, several of the company's senior managers led a campaign to suppress details of the fraud before dismissing him, then launched a campaign to discredit him.
They have located the physical source of the teakettle whistle at the spout as steam flows up it, and identified a two-mechanism process of whistle production.
"At times they will hover around, whistle at it, try to get it to whistle back."
In this article, I will provide an overview of "The Mill Whistle Project" designed to document the mill whistle in Corner Brook, describe the historic functions of the mill whistle at the Corner Brook Pulp and Paper Mill, and identify alternative uses of the whistle over time.
In the early twentieth century, there were two primary functions of a whistle at a paper mill: to mark shift changes and to signal trouble.
The decision whether to deploy the whistle at midnight is made each year by mill management.
Grant Hiscock, who was thirteen at the time, recalled hearing the whistle at the end of World War II: "It blew for a long time, I remember that" (interview: August 1, 2012).
For example, in 1927, the editor advised, "The Mill whistle at Corner Brook will he sounded to announce the hour of eleven, and at two minutes after eleven, a second whistle will announce the close of the brief interval of meditation and reverence" ("Editorial Notes" 1927: 2).
Some male cockroaches whistle at females with surprisingly complex, almost birdlike sounds that vibrate through the ground and the air, researchers find.
It fears the gesture reinforces a building site's stereotypical image where a group of male builders will wolf whistle at the sight of women's legs.
At this year's World Cup, many football referees will choose to use an Acme Tornado 2000, the world's most powerful whistle at 125 decibels.
Mick Thacker polishes the whistle at the Gallery and, left, it is moved into position.
Likewise, when there has been an accident on the motorway and police are trying to avoid further accidents through motorists on the other side having a gawp, they have found it most effective to wave the motorists on and whistle at the same time.