This isn’t too important, but it seems to me that a sort of consensus is developing to call the little tube we all struggle with simply, the “whistle,” rather than “tin whistle” or “pennywhistle.” This makes a lot of sense to me for the obvious reasons, i.e., they all cost lots more than a penny (even an English penny) and most of them aren’t made of tin. So, here’s a toast to the rule of common sense and another toast to “The Whistle”! And another toast to . . . (gee, are we out of beer already?).
I agree 
Trisha
Whew! I’m glad that’s settled. Thanks for taking a burden off my mind.
Best wishes,
Jerry
P.S. However, there is some charming history behind the names, “tinwhistle” and “pennywhistle.” It’s my understanding that the name tinwhistle comes from the making of whistles from tinplate in the mid-1800s. The tinwhistle wasn’t possible as a mass produced item until the industrial revolution brought mass produced tinplate sheet metal. I would consider Hohners, Clarkes and Shaws, which are (were, in the case of Hohners) made from rolled and soldered sheet metal, to be the real descendents of the original tinwhistles.
It’s my understanding that the name pennywhistle comes, not from the price of the whistle, but from the fact that people from olden times up to the present have stood on street corners and played them for the pennies (or whatever) people would give.
I’m glad to have brought relief to what I’m sure were endless sleepless nights. As far as the tin in tin whistle is concerned, I suppose they would have mostly been made by tinkers, who, if my information is correct, tended to be pretty constantly on the move, going from town to town, selling their wares and repairing implements. They also were especially given, as a group, to musicianship. In “The Northern Fiddler” they say that these folks even made fiddles from tin!
Jon Michaels
I had a wooden whistle, but it wooden whistle
So I got a steel whistle, but it steel wouldn’t whistle
Then I got a tin whistle, and now I tin whistle all the time. . .
One more chiffer on my roster. . .I met Jim_Mc today at the Deep River Muster (more fifers than you could ever possible imagine all in one place) today! Saw a few whistles there for sale…and a lot of fifers trying to make 'em play primarily in the third register…ouch!
Funny post, Tyghress.
What about “Irish Whistle”?
“Irish whistle”? I wonder how the Scots would feel about that?
Apparently tinkers were also in demand for certain other services not directly related to tinsmithing, if the lyrics to ‘The Jolly Tinker’ are any indication. 
Irish tin whistle?
Cornish tinkers would resent!
We might observe that Zoob is being most diplomatic. The Breton outcry has been duly noted.
Then again, I like the Scots term: “whussle”.