it's not the whistle that pulls the train
English
editAlternative forms
edit- it ain't the whistle that pulls the train
- it is not the whistle that pulls the train
- it isn't the whistle that pulls the train
- the whistle doesn't pull the train
Proverb
editit'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.
- 1956 July 1, James Reston, “Washington: It's Not the Whistle that Pulls the Train”, in New York Times, page E8:
- “In the words of the nursery rhyme,” says Mr. Green, “‘it isn't the whistle that pulls the train.’”
- 1962, American Flint, volume 62, American Flint Glass Workers' Union, page 17:
- Until then, remember, don't brag, it's not the whistle that pulls the train.
- 2005, Eve-Lyn Woodard, Resounding Echoes, →ISBN, page 113:
- The shiny aluminum body of the 1928 Peerless race car with its rumble seat and purchase price of 50 dollars must have put Kenwood in a boastful mood because Grandma Proper immediately stated, “Kenwood you must remember that it is not the whistle that pulls the train.”
Usage notes
edit- This expression was used as the title of a children's song recorded in 1954 by Kitty Kallen.[1]