whistle-stop

English

Etymology

Named for the train whistle that is frequently blown before stopping in small towns.

Noun

whistle-stop (plural whistle-stops)

  1. (idiomatic) A small train station.
  2. (politics) A brief stop on a campaign tour to make a speech or perform some other type of public electioneering

Usage notes

  • The unhyphenated spelling, whistle stop, is more common in political usage (except when used attributively). Although originally strictly a US term, it is now used in the UK and elsewhere.

Translations

Adjective

whistle-stop (not comparable)

  1. (idiomatic) Extremely brief and hurried.
    We've only got 30 minutes at the stadium, so I'll give you a whistle-stop tour.
  • whistle-stop cafe
  • whistle-stop train tour

Translations

Anagrams

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