WTA, don’t worry about callin’ 'em “whistles”. They’re of an ancient instrument line going back to prehistory, no matter what you call 'em. Their nobility has kept them with us to this day.
Simple of construction; not so simple to play well. Those who’d consider them toys just need a little kind guidance. If they don’t get it then, what can you do but keep playing, after all?
I think, if I read correctly once, that fiddles for Irish music don’t have the rich bottom end that classical violins have. This may be partly the strings and partly the body.
A super smart fiddle person (or Bloomfield) can correct me if I’m wrong.
Some fiddlers have a slight difference in the shape of the bridge top. Also, many don’t clean off the rosin from the body as it contributes to a thinner tone. I understand rosin is bad for the finish, though.
Is there a fiddler in the house? 
daleophone
LOL! 
WTA
In both Spanish and French it’s an “Irish Flute”. I have a guitar playing friend who calls it an Irish pipe, which works because it’s singular and therefore not to be confused with the pipes.
De Danann were on the radio once and called it “flute”. I guess they didn’t have the time or inclination to explain.
I call it a whistle when speaking to those who know, and Irish flute when speaking with the un-initiated.
For what it’s worth, a fiddler told me that stuff. There was one fiddler who came to a session who announced that she’d just cleaned her fiddle, and another fiddler said to her, “But that way you get rid of all the whiskey and vomit! That’s no good at all.”
i get people calling it “that flutey thing” or “that anorexic recorder.” once they hear it though, they still don’t remember the name, but they do remember the sound. i’m a rather frugal person to start with so i don’t mind in the least calling it a pennywhistle.
I love telling people I play whistle, because they always go, “Oh, like this?” and start doing the Andy Griffith theme.
I mean, literally, every time. It must be because I live in the South.
Then I get to correct them and tell them I play IRISH whistle, at which point they ask me if I’m Irish, and I say “No,” and then their interest runs out and they mention how hot it’s been lately.
I once had someone ask about my trad flute, “That’s some kind of penny whistle, right?” I was gobsmacked: he knew what a penny whistle was.
Yeah, what’s up w/ that? I say to my coworkers “I’m leaving for session.
Time to play some Irish music!”, and they reply, “I didn’t know you
were Irish.” sigh
I play Djembe too, but no one’s ever mistaken me for an African, or
even an African American.
Fiddles and violins are the same instrument with the same strings, though violinists and fiddlers might choose specific strings to attain a certain result (just as their playing technique might be different as well).
Some fiddlers have the bridge flattened a bit so they can play 2 or 3 notes at the same time easier.
Yes, leaving the rosin on the instrument is done in some fiddle communities. The custom will trash the finish and possibly alter the sound of the instrument. Some fiddlers like that.
Anymore questions about fiddle versus violin would probably best be answered by community over on that other chiff list.
[quote="Nanohedron]I once had someone ask about my trad flute, “That’s some kind of penny whistle, right?” I was gobsmacked: he knew what a penny whistle was.[/quote]
I had a soprano recorder and a high D whistle in my PVC cases going through security at the airport (these PVC cases look a bit like pipe bombs at first glance). The TSA guy on the x-ray looked over at me an said “Nice recorder and Irish whistle” and waved me through. I was flabbergasted - he recognized both the recorder AND the whistle. On the return trip, I stopped to chat. He was raised in Boston in the Irish community with sessions in the kitchen every weekend.
I call it a “doodly-doo”. It gives me more time to finish my Guinness while people are trying to figure out what the actual name of the instrument is…
My grandad used to call them guinness straws,
Okay, that’s the best ever!
Loren
i tried calling it a flageolet and was imediately offered beano to cure my flageolents
I´m proud to be a tin whistler!
I think we have to accept that the name of the instrument will be “tin whistle” or “whistle” for ever. Sure, you meet a lot of ignorant people that say things like: “why don´t you play a REAL instrument instead?”. But will it become better if we begin to call a tin whistle, for example, The Resikan Flute? Or something else. The connotations will be the same.
There has always been a tendency toward changeing name on inferior brands or undesired social issues. But changing a name won´t change the facts. Gay people realized this 30 years ago when they started to call themself gay. The word “gay” has since then gone from beeing an abusive word to a common everyday denomination for a homosexual person.
So if we just stick to the word Tin Whistle, or just Whistle, and ignore all those ignorant comments, and are just proud and happy to play the tin whisle, everything will work out just fine! I don´t think Mary Bergin or James Galway are ashame of playing the “tin whistle”?!