The origin of the phrase “clean as a whistle” is unclear. Some suggest it was originally “clear as a whistle,” referring to the clear tone of a whistle or bell. The word “clean” may have also referred to smoothness, necessary for a clear tone. Alternatively, “smooth as a whistle” may be a more accurate variation. The phrase’s origin is uncertain, with possible corruption or mistranslation over time.
Seldom does it pay to look a gift idiom in the mouth, but the comparison of cleanliness and whistle requires further examination. Apparently, to be clean as a whistle means to be smooth and clean as a clear-toned whistle. If too much dirt builds up on a train whistle, for example, its tone and clarity will seriously suffer. Even a homemade wooden whistle must be shaved before it can make a clear sound.
The difficulty with this explanation lies in the connection between “clean” and “whistle”. There are some word-origin experts who suggest that the original saying is “clear as a whistle.” This would imply that the object in question is unique and clearly defined, just like the sound of a whistle or bell. Well-written instructions left by a supervisor could be said to be as clear as a bell.
There is also the double meaning of the word clean. A well-used whistle isn’t exactly the first thing one might associate with hygiene. An older meaning of “neat” implies a level of smoothness, as in a clean-shaven face. A rough surface would produce too much air resistance for pure tone, so the whistle maker must look for near-perfect smoothness around the mouthpiece and air hole.
To further complicate matters, there’s also a variation on the sentence that makes just as much sense and is perhaps closer to the mark. Some people say that an exceptionally clean or smooth surface is as smooth as a whistle, covering much of the same territory as the original clean as a whistle. A bald man’s scalp might be described as smooth as a whistle, for example.
There is surprisingly little agreement among word origin experts regarding the earliest incidence of the “clean as a whistle” simile. It is possible that a number of earlier idioms became corrupted over time and “clear as a whistle” became “clean” through a perpetuated misunderstanding. Sometimes, when a corrupted or mistranslated idiom makes as much sense as the original, it becomes the more accepted version over time.
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