-I like “tin whistle” or just plain “whistle”,
but those of continental orientation might prefer “flageolet”, a term redolent of “early music”, rather like hearing "bombard"or other early music instrument
mentioned. - Brueghel paintings come to my mind’s eye when hearing names of these instruments.
-A neighbor refers to the whistle as “it”, as in “Would you please stop it??!!”
(uttered in a tone of anguished, weary resignation) 
Gordontait,
I am happy to have provided you an opportunity to vent 
.
Now we can try some harder ones like is it the English channel or the French channel. The Persian gulf or the Arabian gulf.
And what about French toast, French fries, Belgian waffles…
Mike
On 2002-06-24 12:26, burnsbyrne wrote:
Now we can try some harder ones like is it the English channel or the French channel. The Persian gulf or the Arabian gulf.And what about French toast, French fries, Belgian waffles…
Mike
The channel is exactly that (“The Channel”)
I suspect the Gulf is the same!
French toast is Eggy Toast…
French fries are American…
And…
I can’t think of anything else for Belgian Waffles, but their probably not Belgian either!
Gordon Tait has spoken.
Then how about scotch tape (sticky tape), butterscotch, scotch bonnets, hop scotch
argyle socks (chaussettes ecosaises en Francais)
I guess we’ve gone off topic a bit.
Mike
Well, you can always go the pretentious route. Generation calls theirs ‘flageolets’, presumably to distinguish them from the more consistent tinwhistles and pennywhistles.
I like both pennywhistle and tinwhistle because I think they sound “funky” and I hate it when my neighbors call it a “flute.” Also, I like the look on people’s faces after I tell them I play a pennywhistle (or tinwhistle) and out of it comes MUSIC! Actually, my Clarke’s ARE tinwhistles, but it is really hard to call my Chieftain Low G by either name. I think “flageolet” sounds a bit pretentious and “fipple flute” sounds maybe a little better. Usually, though, I just call them “my whistles.”
How about Celtic Whistle? When were the dang things invented anyway? Did Clarke invent them or was he just making something that already existed?
Surely Dale (Ocean of Whistle Wisdom) must know something about the origins.
Help us Dale!
Doc
wow, i started such a heated discussion. i’m so proud of myself
My preference is Irish whistle, Irish low-whistle, and Irish flute, depending on which is under discussion. This way the person asking is less likely to think recorder, or slide whistle, toy whistle, train whistle, bowsun’s whistle, or boehm silver flute. They can ask for more description if they want, but chances are they understand the instrument is something high, whistle sounding but not like they other types of whistles or flutes I’ve mentioned. I know they are not ‘Irish’; but, Irish music is the predominant genre in which they are used and the most likely place where others have heard whistling.
‘Irish whistle’ is my preferred term in talking about whistles, but playing and listening is still preferred. It get folks back to how they …
Well, as far as “when were they invented,” end-blown flutes have been around about as long as people have been playing instruments. The earliest were probably made out of hollow animal or bird bone. Every culture has a variation on the “whistle.” So I don’t know if any one can claim to have “invented” them. Clarke may or may not have been the first to make one out of rolled tin, and they probably standardized the six-hole format. They’re certainly not exclusively Irish, or even Celtic (though granted that’s their most popular venue today)…and the two companies best known for popularizing the whistle (Clarke and Generation) are British!
As far as the common terms for this instrument go, my understanding is that Clarke was the first to use “tin whistle” (for the simple reason that their whistles were made of tin). “Penny whistle” was more of a generic term, arising from the fact that a penny was a standard tip for a street busker during the Victorian era. Generation went with the continental term “flageolet” because their whistles were NOT made of tin and cost more than a penny! Every culture that has some kind of whistle flute has its own name for it (such as Ireland’s “feadog/feadan”), and sometimes different names to denote different holing or fingering configurations…a common example being the tabor pipe, which is essentially a one-handed whistle).
Here endeth the history lesson
Redwolf
Hmmmmm…“cuisleannach” sounds interesting. Anybody know how to pronounce it? I come up with maybe “kizlana” or “kizlayna” - at any rate, I bet it’s a pretty-sounding word.
On 2002-06-24 04:24, Martin Milner wrote:
Some manufacturers actually still use the term pennywhistle on their packaging, shame on them, should know better!
Like Clarke, for example. ‘The World’s Oldest Pennywhistle’ they scream from their display boxes! And they should know. They invented it. And it cost a penny.
I just call everything a whistle. You wouldn’t believe the number of football referee’s I had in the shop just before world cup! Did you see the one yesterday; instead of showing the forward a red card, he played the first three bars of ‘You’ll take the highroad’. (I made that bit up).
Steve
I tend to call mine “whistles” in the company of people who know me and my music and “Irish Whistles” in the company of those who might think its a recorder!
Since we are on the topic of what things are called, the flute that high school musicians play in concert band…are they just called flutes or is there a special name for them?
Inquiring minds want to know…
Deb
A Flutophone is a form of recorder long used in American musical education (they use the German fingering system, rather than the usual Baroque system). Other brands include “Tonette” and “Songflute.” Flutophones are now made by Hohner. In Funky Winkerbean the Flutophone was defined as A musical instrument combining the fingering of a simple flute with the ringing sound of a telephone.
On 2002-06-24 19:20, WhistlerWannaBe wrote:
Since we are on the topic of what things are called, the flute that high school musicians play in concert band…are they just called flutes or is there a special name for them?
Inquiring minds want to know…
Deb
The flute used in high school bands is properly called a “Boehm system transverse flute.”
IMHO, the name of pennywhistle and tinwhistle should not be changed to “Irish whistle” or “Celtic whistle.” (1) They are not known to have originated in Ireland or among the Celts. (2) Whistles have no ethnicity. (3) They are not used only in Celtic music. For example their use in Kwela, an African music originally using German-made pennywhistles. (4) Part of their charm is the embarrassing name.
As Anne of Green Gables said, “I read
in a book once that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but I’ve never been able to believe it. I don’t believe a rose WOULD be as nice if it was called a thistle
or a skunk cabbage.”
Walden
Deus converte nos et ostende faciem tuam et salvi erimus</font color>
[ This Message was edited by: Walden on 2002-06-24 20:26 ]
You could also call a boehm system flute an ‘orchestral’ flute… don’t call it a concert flute or many makers of 8-key A-440 simple system flutes in D are going to be irritated with you. 
–Chris
How about punny whistle? Groan…
Or puny whistle since some think they’re undeveloped recorders.
Or pony whistle. Whoa to that!
Or best yet peony whistle. Peonies have been mistaken for “the rose by any other name”.
Peter Piper picked a peony;
Perhaps purposing to procure:
A pretty penny whistle.
Actually, there is/was a Puny Tune ™ - a four-hole wood ocarina looking quite a bit like a very short whistle. I have one, as does GM and probably others. The guy’s website may even still be up, but last I heard they weren’t being made.
I like both pennywhistle and tinwhistle because I love the humble folky background of this instrument. I believe I’ve read that even the earliest pennywhistles cost more than a penny - as Redwolf mentioned, a penny was standard remuneration for the playing of a tune. I often find myself using whistle as a short form, but it brings to mind loud sports whistles. And celtic or Irish whistle are fine, but a shade pretentious or exclusive.
Clarke is marketing their new whistle “The Meg” claiming that their earliest whistles only cost a halfpenny, or meg.