Whistling in the dark?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>: “<span word="He">He</span> <span word="knew">knew</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="heart">heart</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="whistling">whistling</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="dark">dark</span> – <span word="but">but</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="brave">brave</span> <span word="whistle">whistle</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="provides">provides</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="courage">courage</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="on">on</span>.”</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="He">He</span> <span word="knew">knew</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="trouble">trouble</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="wasn">wasn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="prepared">prepared</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="accept">accept</span> <span word="defeat">defeat</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="similarly">similarly</span> <span word="undesirable">undesirable</span> <span word="outcome">outcome</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="whistled">whistled</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="himself">himself</span> – <span word="in">in</span> <span word="order">order</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="spur">spur</span> <span word="himself">himself</span> <span word="on">on</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="optimistic">optimistic</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="though">though</span> <span word="deep">deep</span> <span word="inside">inside</span> (<span word="at">at</span> <span word="heart">heart</span>) <span word="he">he</span> <span word="knew">knew</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="optimism">optimism</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="well">well</span> <span word="founded">founded</span>.</p><p><span word="Here">Here</span>, “<span word="whistling">whistling</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="dark">dark</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="metaphor">metaphor</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="actually">actually</span> <span word="purse">purse</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="lips">lips</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="whistle">whistle</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="melodic">melodic</span> <span word="tune">tune</span>. <span word="It">It</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="figure">figure</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="speech">speech</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="putting">putting</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="brave">brave</span> <span word="face">face</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="face">face</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="adversity">adversity</span>.</p><p>“<span word="Whistle">Whistle</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="dark">dark</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="great">great</span> <span word="phrase">phrase</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="learn">learn</span> <span word="here">here</span>, <span word="of">of</span> <span word="course">course</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span> <span word="and">and</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="case">case</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="nifty">nifty</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="idioms">idioms</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="probably">probably</span> <span word="figure">figure</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="meaning">meaning</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="one">one</span>.</p><p><span word="Imagine">Imagine</span> <span word="yourself">yourself</span> <span word="walking">walking</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="dark">dark</span> <span word="alley">alley</span> <span word="alone">alone</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="dead">dead</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="moonless">moonless</span> <span word="night">night</span>. <span word="Yes">Yes</span>, <span word="soon">soon</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="find">find</span> <span word="yourself">yourself</span> <span word="whistling">whistling</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="yourself">yourself</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="act">act</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="well">well</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="involuntary">involuntary</span>. <span word="You">You</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="know">know</span> <span word="why">why</span> <span word="you">you</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="whistling">whistling</span>. <span word="You">You</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="doing">doing</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="aimlessly">aimlessly</span>. <span word="Or">Or</span> <span word="perhaps">perhaps</span> <span word="subconsciously">subconsciously</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="think">think</span> <span word="whistling">whistling</span> <span word="helps">helps</span>. <span word="After">After</span> <span word="all">all</span>, <span word="walking">walking</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="alley">alley</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="pitch">pitch</span> <span word="dark">dark</span> <span word="night">night</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="scary">scary</span>. <span word="Making">Making</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="little">little</span> <span word="noise">noise</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="whistling">whistling</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="therefore">therefore</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="fearless">fearless</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="fear">fear</span> <span word="less">less</span> – <span word="if">if</span>, <span word="indeed">indeed</span>, <span word="there">there</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="anything">anything</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="fear">fear</span>.</p><p><span word="There">There</span> <span word="might">might</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="nothing">nothing</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="fear">fear</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="dark">dark</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="knows">knows</span>?</p>
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