whistle in the dark

Idioms  

1. Summon up courage in a frightening situation, make a show of bravery. For example, They knew they were lost and were just whistling in the dark. This expression alludes to a literal attempt to keep up one's courage. [First half of 1900s]

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Example Sentences

The star of Normal People and Gladiator II will appear in two classic 20th Century plays - Death of a Salesman and A Whistle in the Dark.

From BBC

As part of a new repertory run, Paul Mescal will make his National Theatre debut in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman and Tom Murphy's A Whistle in the Dark.

From BBC

Photograph: David Bazemore Act Two: A Whistle In The Dark Ira Glass’s faux outrage at the New York Times for moving into his podcast turf feels particularly hypocritical for someone who has tried his hand at almost everything else.

From The Guardian

Yet TE continues to whistle in the dark.

From Economist

Neither extreme, Khan seems to suggest, is more than a whistle in the dark, or a vain attempt to define ourselves against the uncaring vastness of the universe.

From The Guardian