whistle past the graveyard
To attempt to stay cheerful in a dire situation; to proceed with a task, ignoring an upcoming hazard, hoping for a good outcome.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He whistles past the graveyard, ignoring the fact that his company is failing.”
“The manager knows the project is doomed, but he whistles past the graveyard and continues to assign new tasks to the team.”
“Despite the mounting evidence of an impending economic collapse, the investors continued to whistle past the graveyard, convinced that their portfolios remained entirely insulated from the coming storm.”
- 01
bells and whistles
Extra features added for show rather than function; fancy additions or features.
- 02
blast from the past
Something or someone that a person has not seen for a long time that evokes nostalgic feelings.
- 03
blow the whistle
To disclose information to the public or to appropriate authorities concerning the illegal or socially harmful actions of a person or group, especially a corporation or government agency.
- 04
clean as a whistle
Very clean.
- 05
ghost from one's past
Something unpleasant from one's past that "haunts" them (makes them feel uneasy) to the present day.
- 06
live in the past
To dwell on and ruminate about past events.
- 07
make pigs and whistles of
To ruin (something); to make a severe mess of (something).
- 08
not worth a whistle
Worthless or pointless.
Last updated August 10, 2026