whistled past the graveyard

A form of 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.

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Meanings

verb
  1. participlepastsimple past and past participle of whistle past the graveyard
Cite this entry
APA

whistled past the graveyard. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/whistled%20past%20the%20graveyard

MLA

“whistled past the graveyard.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/whistled%20past%20the%20graveyard. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “whistled past the graveyard,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/whistled%20past%20the%20graveyard.

Source: whistled past the graveyard on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.