English

Verb

whistle Dixie ‎(third-person singular simple present whistles Dixie, present participle whistling Dixie, simple past and past participle whistled Dixie)

1. (idiomatic, Southern US) To engage in idle conversational fantasies.

   He said he was going to open a business next year, but I think he was just whistling Dixie.

   "Sure is hot!" / "You ain't whistlin' Dixie!

Usage notes

• Frequently used in the negative, to mean someone or something is serious, as in, When I say that, I'm not just whistling Dixie, I really mean it.

Translations

See also

• whistle past the graveyard
• whistle in the dark