Expressions

[astramance]

I fail to see the origin of the expression "as clean as a whistle". Why should a whistle be more clean than any other object?

Some other expressions iconoclass  uses make more sense, like "as serious as a heart attack" or "as innocent as a lesbian'. But a whistle?? No!

Comments

[ncalrod]

Regarding the idiom "Clean as a Whistle", when I read this I became curious as well so I looked it up:

Thought to come from "clear as a whistle,' which referred to the almost completely pure sound that a whistle makes. First Recorded use is in 1934: "railroad whistle stop" (at which trains stop only if the engineer hears a signal from the station).

I have never heard the idiom: "innocent as a lesbian" before. Is that saying local to where you live or just something specifically iconoclass says?

[astramance]

Thanks for looking it up and letting a comment.

Yes the sentence is a typical iconoclassian sentence.