OK, this one’s origins have me completely perplexed and befuddled.  Similar, I’d guess to "you ain’t (sic) just whistlin’ Dixie."  Can anyone shine some light on this one?  (Pun intended).  ;)

I’ve never heard this expression, but I’m guessing it comes from the kind of thing you would see Shaggy or Scooby doing as they muddle through a dark underground cavern… An attempt to alleviate fear?

I’ve never heard this one either.  Could it be regional?  (You’re from the South, right?)

Whistling in the dark is a common enough expression in the UK. The OED defines it as "to put on a brave front; to make a pretence of confidence".
So I’m with tcward - the image is of someone walking alone in the dark, feeling nervous, but managing a dry whistle in order to (perhaps) cheer themselves up and also to convince anyone out there that they’re not afraid.

As for "whistling Dixie", isn’t it a reference to the song Dixie Land? Cassell’s Dictionary of Slang gives two uses of the phrase to whistle Dixie: either "to engage in wishful fantasies" or "to brag without substance". I can see the mental connection with both wishful thinking and bragging without substance, if someone whistling Dixie is thought to be imagining that the South might rise again.
So if you’re not just whistlin’ Dixie, you’re saying something of substance, something that has real-world relevance.

Disclaimer: The author specifically states that none of the above should be taken in any way to necessarily reflect the opinion of the author concerning any political or social stance that might be taken by any or all inhabitants of the southern states of the USA, either now or at any time in the past or future.

Grant

;D

This time I did get the humor.

dgale - and you got it without the little winking man! LOL!

I always thought whistlin’ Dixie originated out of the actual time of the Civil War here in the U.S., although I haven’t read anything to support or deny that position.  It seems like the kind of thing a Yankee would have said to those from the South, to disrespect them and squash their pride.

Hey, some polls conducted by an obviously biased neo-Confederate group show that a whopping FOUR PERCENT of Southerners would support a new Confederacy! Un-huh! Beat that!

...
...
...

???

[quote author=Silver Han link=board=idiom;num=1040400472;start=0#6 date=12/24/02 at 02:22:21]Hey, some polls conducted by an obviously biased neo-Confederate group show that a whopping FOUR PERCENT of Southerners would support a new Confederacy! Un-huh! Beat that!

Hmm.  Yes, I am a southerner, but I happily count myself among the 96% (excepting whatever percentage might have been sitting on the fence).  I always figure the 4% to be those who never outgrew the rebeliousness of youth (always fighting against somebody or something) and are ignorant enough to never have learned the lessons of history.

So, if you are among the 4%, and you are afraid that the South might not actually rise again, would that be a good occasion to be whistling dixie in the dark?  

They’d be whistling ‘till their lips fell off  :)

Interesting about Sasquatch.  The Ojibwa believe in manitous - spirits - and they don’t eant to disturb some of them.

[quote author=KatyBr link=board=idiom;num=1040400472;start=0#9 date=01/21/03 at 13:59:56]to whistle in the dark is to let all the unknown monsters out there that are unseen where you are and that  you are unafraid.  Katy

This is as good a definition of this expression as I’ve seen.  It pretty much captures the essence of the feeling one has while whistling in the dark.  To make noise in a fearful situation, if one is darkaphobic, is to show fearlessness.
J.