What does the phrase, "wet your whistle" mean?

Question

I've heard a teacher say, "ya wet your whistle, michael?". Everyone laughed. What does it mean?

Answer 1

Probably refering to thier wet pants. But it's actually meant ' to have a drink.'

Answer 2

Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim or handle of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service. Wet your whistle, is the phrase inspired by this practice.
Since the middle ages, whistle has been used as a slang term for the throat. As in... Let’s have no pitty, for if you do, here’s that shall cut your whistle. So, to wet your whistle is simply "to wet your throat".

Answer 3

Wet Your Whistle

Answer 4

Like the others said, the phrase refers to drinking (not necessarily alcohol). The origin of the phrase is fairly simple: you can't whistle with a dry mouth. First, you have to wet it by having a drink.

Answer 5

It originated in Scotland, where old beer mugs would have whistles baked into the handle in order to get the attention of the barmaid. When your mug was empty, you whistled and the maid would "wet your whistle".

Answer 6

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A deregatory term for Mexicans. The term comes from when the main form of illegal immigration was to cross a river like the Rio grande, and therefore illegal immigrants had a "wet back" once they got over the border.

Answer 7

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RE:
What does the phrase, "wet your whistle" mean?
I've heard a teacher say, "ya wet your whistle, michael?". Everyone laughed. What does it mean?

Answer 8

I've always understood it to mean "get a drink" but unless the kid just had a drink of something, that doesn't make any sense.

Answer 9

to have a drink/while drinking your whistle(lips) are getting wet

Answer 10

in ye olde english pubs, pint tankards (glasses) used to have whistles on them and when you're tankard was empty you'd blow the whistle and the serving wench would come and refill your glass...