whistle stop: Meaning and Definition of

whis'tle stop"

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. a small, unimportant town, esp. one along a railroad line.
  2. a short talk from the rear platform of a train, esp. during a political campaign.
  3. a brief appearance, single performance, or the like, in a small town, as during a political campaign or theatrical tour.

whis•tle-stop

Pronunciation: (hwis'ul-stop", wis'-), [key]
— v., adj. -stopped, -stop•ping,
—v.i.
  1. to campaign for political office by traveling around the country, originally by train, stopping at small communities to address voters.
  2. to take a trip consisting of several brief, usually overnight, stops.
—adj.
  1. occurring at a whistle stop; consisting of whistle stops: a whistle-stop speech; a whistle-stop tour of the Northwest.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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