dog whistle

American  

[dawg-hwis-uhl, -wis-, dog-] / ˈdɔgˌʰwɪs əl, -ˌwɪs-, ˈdɒg- /

noun

1. an ultrasonic whistle, audible to dogs and some other animals but out of the range easily perceptible to the human ear, used by handlers of working dogs and by dog trainers.

2. Chiefly Politics. a choice of words, coded communication, or other symbolic aspect of self-presentation that is superficially unobjectionable or neutral but conveys a secondary message aimed at those who affiliate with a controversial group or fringe ideology, usually signaling one’s own affinity for such beliefs: The logo on the t-shirt he chose to wear in his profile pic is a neo-Nazi dog whistle.

   The candidate used “welfare reform” as a dog whistle appealing to racist voters.

   The logo on the t-shirt he chose to wear in his profile pic is a neo-Nazi dog whistle.

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dog-whistle British  

adjective

1. relating to the targeting of potentially controversial messages to specific voters while avoiding offending those voters with whom the message will not be popular

   dog-whistle politics

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verb

1. (intr) to employ this kind of political strategy

Usage

What does dog whistle mean? A dog whistle is a political term about statements that appear innocent to the general public but they actually use subtle, coded language to communicate a secondary message to an intended group.The messages are often racial or bigoted in nature, used to attract certain voters and energize them to vote.

Other Word Forms

• dog whistling noun
• dog-whistle adjective

Etymology

Origin of dog whistle

First recorded in 1800–05

Example Sentences

The movie theater subscription service has taken on a life of its own on the internet and has become a bit of a “dog whistle” on dating apps, Lingaur said.

From Los Angeles Times

Judges know the difference between a whistleblower and a dog whistle.

From Salon

Powell responded "oh, we want to blow that little trumpet now do we" and "let's get that dog whistle out shall we".

From BBC

They weren’t shy, and there was no dog whistle needed.

From Slate

It's taken on dog whistle status — even if it might not completely operate like one.

From Salon