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Whistling
Whistling

Learn English meaning of whistling

Date: Jul 17 2019

Themes: Hobbies, Music

Grammar: Gerunds vs. Infinitives

Intro

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Have you seen “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs?” It’s a famous Disney movie from 1937. In the story, a girl meets seven dwarves (or very short men) in the forest. The dwarves have a difficult job that they must do every day. To help them complete their work, they sing and whistle.

When you have a repetitive task that needs doing, there are many ways to make the experience less boring. You can sing or listen to music. You can eat or chew gum. You can chat with a friend. Or, if you have the skill, you can whistle while you work. Why not give it a try?

Brian doesn’t realize that his whistling is causing a problem for Kellie. Find out how they work it out by reading today’s English lesson.

Dialog

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Kellie

Kellie

Brian

Brian

Kellie:  Hey, Brian? I’m just trying to get a little bit of work done here. Do you mind not whistling?

Brian:  Oh, was I whistling?

Kellie:  Yeah, you were.

Brian:  Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t even realize when I do. Sometimes when I’m just doing a repetitive task, I start whistling.

Kellie:  Oh, that’s OK. I understand the “whistle while you work” thing. Yeah. Also, I can’t whistle, so I may be jealous, but…

Brian:  Oh. It’s a skill you have to hone.

Kellie:  Oh, really?

Brian:  Yeah.

Kellie:  Well, you are very skilled at it, I have to say.

Brian:  Oh, thank you. I heard it was hereditary, but no one in my family can whistle.

Kellie:  Everyone in my family can wiggle their ears, which is pretty cool. So I’ve always wanted to learn how to whistle. Maybe you can teach me?

Brian:   Oh, yeah. I’ve never tried teaching anyone, but yeah. Let’s give it a try.

Kellie:  OK.

 

Grammar Point

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Kellie can’t do her work. She’s not too tired. Her work isn’t boring. And Kellie isn’t thinking about someone or something else. Brian just won’t stop whistling!

What’s interesting is that Brian doesn’t even know that he’s whistling. When he has to do the same things over and over, Brian starts to whistle. Kellie understands why he does it, and she even asks Brian to teach her how. But she still needs him to stop if she’s going to get her work done.

Can you whistle? Does it bother you when other people whistle?

 

Comments

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S&W

S&W

China

I can’t whistling but my dad can do it.I still remembered i had asked my dad to teach me how to whistling.My mom didn’t allow me to learn it and her reason is only bad girls whistling.My dad was told do not whistling by my mom.Except whistling i can wiggle my ears and eyebrows which i didn’t learn with anyone ,i just born with it.


From my perspective,if everyone surrounded you is happy,whistling will be fun moreover whistling will add atmosphere,On the contrary,if someone is in a bad mood or is very busy with something difficult ,whistling is noise to them.

09:54 AM Jul 08 2015 |

1 person likes this

mandzhi

mandzhi

Russian Federation

I can whistle, but i do it seldom. Even when i do repetitive tasks i don’t want to whistle. 
It doesn’t bother me when i heard that someone whistle, but in Russia we have another opinion about whistle inside. If someone will whistle inside – you wouldn’t have money at home. 



It’s interesting that DjanaWuthering and ScienceBoy have another meaning of whistle inside home

03:48 PM Jul 07 2015 |

La Princesse de la vie

Egypt

I can whistle. I don’t know when I did learn to whistle, but I’m not absolutely born with it. My dad and my brothers can also whistle, they even can compose some tunes whistling, I think they’re better than me.


I always thought that whistling through working means enjoying what you are doing, not a spontaneous reaction to escape a routine! At least that’s what my dad does, he only whistles when he’s amused, and he slightly does!! My dad also can wiggle his ears, and so are my brothers, it seems weird for me and it’s a skill I don’t really want to hone.


I know two kinds of whistling, one in which you narrow your lips into shape O which I and the rest here can do, and the other is by using the index and middle fingers, it’s more used in cheering in sports courts. But none here can do it.

01:22 AM Jul 07 2015 |

julito1

julito1

Argentina

Dear Shoba, in my country , i don`t know yours, when a pretty girl passes by , some men in approval whistle after her . jejejeje!!

09:26 PM Jul 06 2015 |

julito1

julito1

Argentina

Whistling can be annoying but also an art if done properly.  I have seen on TV a guy  who could whistle  so well that imitated to the perfection the chirping of  well known birds that live in our country.  As for me , i have never learned to whistle , so Brian , count me in.   

09:22 PM Jul 06 2015 |

ola33

ola33

Japan

Whisle can be also a command for a dog. Can you imagine, you walk along whistling a relaxing song, and then turn back and just behind you is trotting St. Bernard. Woof woof, he says to you, ‘give me a bone’. Make sure you have a cookie at least:))
Btw, my cat, when I want get him from outside, comes to my singing, it’s one melody; everyone is tired listening it, but not my cat. You start singing and then out of the dark you see your friend running towards you:)

08:09 PM Jul 06 2015 |

ScienceBoy

ScienceBoy

Turkey

So Djana, sounds like this is a common belief. I wonder if this has a solid ground.

07:28 PM Jul 06 2015 |

Wuthering

United States

If you whistle inside home , then snacks , evils enter to your home ! I don’t know if that is true either ! 

05:15 PM Jul 06 2015 |

Djana

Djana

Algeria

ScienceBoy it’s the same here,the elderly people say that if someone whistles inside home,then angels won’t enter to the home! i don’t know if that’s true.

Djana

Djana

Algeria

Actually,i can’t whistle very well :p,and it doesn’t bother me when other people whistle.

04:45 PM Jul 06 2015 |

ScienceBoy

ScienceBoy

Turkey

I can whistle, but I don’t whistle so often. 


I couldn’t whistle at home when I was a child. My grandma would “Sush” me and say ” Don’t whistle at home, it brings demons to home.” I don’t know where she got this idea :)

04:41 PM Jul 06 2015 |

Seiyf_khawas

Turkey

Whistling ..its a part of my life since my childhood ..


ı remember my first whistling ,after watching “the snow white (cotton princess) and seven Dwarfs ” it was beauty of fairtale ,happy ending,real friendship and love..


then ı remember other whistlings..the bridge of the river Kwai movie..Portofino song..Godfather movie soundtrack ..Titanic ( power of Love from Celine Dion  )  ...and recently ,Endless Love song ..I love it too much ..


Whistling offers you another way to be happy ))) and its third beautiful thing that Lips can do,after kissing and smiling  ))) 


01:29 PM Jul 06 2015 |

ola33

ola33

Japan

My father could whisle, he could whisle your ears off. But I can’t whisle, tried many times- nothing. My mother can roll her tongue easily, I also haven’t inherited it. No ear wiggles too. But I’ve got dimples on my cheeks:) and can raise one eyebrow:)

fcf515

fcf515

Taiwan

I wasn’t born with the skill, but I learned to whistle by myself. I whistle when I get bored. It doesn’t bother me when other people whistle, except I am at work.

10:28 AM Jul 06 2015 |

NIJ321655

NIJ321655

United States

Whistling is fun. I can whistling. I love music two. yes I can blow your whistle baby.

10:08 AM Jul 06 2015 |

monty33

Egypt

unfortunatly i can’t whistle but when i am doing something boring i prefer to listen to a song.

s11211s

s11211s

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

I can whistle very well. When I do difficult job like painting home or repairing something, I usually whistle. But when I whistle, I know no one is around me therefore, it doesn’t bother someone.

I don’t remember I have been in a situation that someone whistle when he or she works! But I am sure If I do the same job the other people do and whistle, It won’t bother me!

Shoba

Shoba

Sri Lanka



My brothers taught me to how to whistle when I was very young. At first, only the air came out, but after a few tries I got the hang of it. 


Like Brian some of my classmates also whistle while doing some work. It doesn’t bother me at all, in fact, I enjoy the tunes they whistle. 


However, I find it irritating when men stand on the roadside and wolf whistle when we walk past them. 



Naveen Singh Shahi

India

Can you blow my whistle baby, whistle baby



Let me know


05:16 AM Jul 06 2015 |

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