whistle walk
The path slaves took to deliver food from the kitchen building of a plantation to the main dining room. Stories claim that slaves were expected to whistle during this walk in order to assure their masters that they were not eating the food.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The enslaved man walked the whistle walk to bring dinner to the house.”
“The cook carries a heavy tray across the whistle walk.”
“He whistles a loud tune while crossing the whistle walk.”
“On the old plantation, you can still see the path where workers took the whistle walk from kitchen to manor.”
“Tour guides explain how the whistle walk served as a psychological tool to control every breath of the people working in the kitchen.”
“Museum visitors often feel a deep sadness when they stand on the original stones of the whistle walk outside the main house.”
“Historians examining plantation records uncovered firsthand accounts describing the cruel custom of the whistle walk, which forced enslaved people to prove through constant whistling that they had not tasted the food they carried.”
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ball and Chalk
[Cockney slang]walk
- 02
bells and whistles
Extra features added for show rather than function; fancy additions or features.
- 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.
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cake walk
Something extremely easy.
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clean as a whistle
Very clean.
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cock of the walk
A proud or conceited person.
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crawl before one walks
To learn the basics before doing something at a more advanced level.
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in a walk
Easily; without difficulty.
Last updated August 10, 2026