whistle (something) down the wind

whistle (something) down the wind

1. old-fashioned To let go of or abandon control of something. Rather than take control of his own fortune, he instead left it to the discretion of his advisors, preferring to whistle it down the wind and enjoy the life he had.

2. old-fashioned To misuse, discard, or waste something. I gave him my love and loyalty, and he simply whistled it down the wind. They are given all manner of opportunities, but most whistle it down the wind in the end.

See also: down, whistle, wind

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

whistle something down the wind

let something go; abandon something.

This phrase comes from falconry. It originally referred to the action of letting a trained hawk loose by casting it off with the wind instead of against the wind in pursuit of prey.

See also: down, something, whistle, wind

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017