Ten Definitions of Dog Whistles:
A coded message communicated through words or phrases commonly understood by a particular group of people, but not by others. Merriam-Webster.com
…the dog whistle targets specific listeners with coded messages that bypass the broader population…Ray Drainville/Hyperallergic
In politics, a dog whistle is the use of coded or suggestive language in political messaging to garner support from a particular group without provoking opposition. Wikipedia
[A deniable speech act that] sends one message to an outgroup while at the same time sending a second (often taboo, controversial, or inflammatory) message to an ingroup. Henderson & McCready
The use of ostensibly innocuous discursive cues that prime more insidious outgroup hostilities, particularly among those who share the ideological predilections of the speaker. Bonikowsk & Zhang
A seemingly neutral statement that has special meaning to a subset of voters with a specific set of shared views. Drakulich et al
Coded racial appeals that carefully manipulate hostility toward nonwhites. Ian Haney-Lopez
Certain phrases that sound reasonable on the surface, but they carry a message that the speaker doesn't want to say out loud. Member of debate club
Dog whistles don’t really exist. Accusing someone of using a dog whistle is a thought-terminating insult designed to avoid dealing with the actual point and having an actual conversation. A different member of the same debate club
An ”intriguing tool of hermeneutics in which you can accuse anyone of saying anything even if they didn't say it because you can always hear the dogwhistle if you yourself are a canine with hypersonic hearing.” Steven Pinker, quoted in “Steven Pinker Beats Cancel Culture Attack”
A Few Observations
Some definitions view dog whistles as intentional signals - a coded message - directed at a specific subset of people. The point is for the message to be received by its target without incurring the disapproval of non-targets.
Other definitions view dog whistles as a way to deceive oneself and others. In this case, the dog whistle serves psychosocial needs, e.g., self-esteem, belonging, and social approval.
The motivation for using dog whistles varies with the definitions, from manipulating people’s emotions to sow doubt and undermine a political movement, to maintaining a morally acceptable self-image, to strengthening the bonds of community with like-minded others. But how do we actually know certain words are dog whistles, and if they’re not, what would be the motivation for using them?
To be continued.