whistle stop

• Courte halte d'un train dans une petite ville, ou visite brève d'un candidat politique dans une petite communauté pendant une campagne électorale. Le terme vient de la pratique où les trains ne s'arrêtaient dans les petites gares que sur signal du sifflet.

A brief stop made by a train at a small town, or a short visit by a political candidate to a small community during a campaign. The term originates from the practice of trains stopping only when signaled by a whistle at small stations.

1. Brief political visitC1informalamerican

   A short, often hurried visit by a political candidate to a small town or community, typically during a campaign.

   Visite éclair

   • The senator made a whistle stop in the rural county to gain support.
   • During the campaign, the candidate's whistle stop tour covered five towns in one day.
   • The whistle stop was brief, but it energized the local volunteers.

2. Small, unimportant placeC1informalamerican

   A small, insignificant town or location, especially one where a train stops only briefly.

   petite ville sans intérêt

   • They lived in a whistle stop that wasn't even on most maps.
   • The train barely paused at the whistle stop before moving on.
   • He grew up in a whistle stop and moved to the city for better opportunities.