it's not the whistle that pulls the train
it's not the whistle that pulls the train proverb: boasting and loud talk should not be mistaken for the work that produces real achievements; bravado is no proof of action.
Proverb
it's not the whistle that pulls the train
- Boasting and loud talk should not be mistaken for the work that produces real achievements; bravado is no proof of action.
- “In the words of the nursery rhyme,” says Mr. Green, “‘it isn't the whistle that pulls the train.’”1956 July 1, James Reston, “Washington: It's Not the Whistle that Pulls the Train”, in New York Times, page E8
- Until then, remember, don't brag, it's not the whistle that pulls the train.1962, American Flint, volume 62, American Flint Glass Workers' Union, page 17
Forms of it's not the whistle that pulls the train
| alternative form | it ain't the whistle that pulls the train |
|---|---|
| alternative form | it is not the whistle that pulls the train |
| alternative form | it isn't the whistle that pulls the train |
| alternative form | the whistle doesn't pull the train |
Questions about it's not the whistle that pulls the train
- What does it's not the whistle that pulls the train mean?
- It's not the whistle that pulls the train means boasting and loud talk should not be mistaken for the work that produces real achievements; bravado is no proof of action.
- What part of speech is it's not the whistle that pulls the train?
- It's not the whistle that pulls the train is a proverb.
Words near it's not the whistle that pulls the train in the dictionary
- it's not over 'til the fat lady sings
- it's not over till the fat lady sings
- it's not over until the fat lady sings
- it's not the meat, it's the motion
- it's not the size of the ship, it's the motion of the ocean
- it's not the whistle that pulls the train
- it's not what you know but who you know
- it's not what you know but whom you know
- it's not what you say but how you say it
- it's not you, it's me
- it's nothing
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: it's not the whistle that pulls the train (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-it's not the whistle that pulls the train.wav.
Cite this entry: “it's not the whistle that pulls the train.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/it%27s_not_the_whistle_that_pulls_the_train. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.