bells and whistles
Americanplural noun
plural noun
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additional features or accessories which are nonessential but very attractive
my car has all the latest bells and whistles
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additions, such as options or warranties, made to a financial product to increase its market appeal
Etymology
Origin of bells and whistles
First recorded in 1970–75
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He described not winning the title in the ring as "bitter-sweet", adding: Saturday night, I can have the full bells and whistles.
From BBC • May 7, 2026
“This is the door to the ballroom,” he said, pointing to the future entrance to the $400 million addition to the White House, elaborating on all the bells and whistles the building will have.
From Slate • Apr. 30, 2026
Ultimately, large customers are going to develop some of their own bells and whistles, or cut seats.
From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026
Not to go all Charlie Brown here – and yes, a Peanuts-themed fireplace exists on the Interwebs – but might we introspect about these commercialist and consumerist bells and whistles leading us astray?
From Salon • Dec. 18, 2025
A chorus of exclamation points says two things about your writing: First, you’re not confident that what you’re saying is important, so you need bells and whistles to get attention.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
