Whistle-stop
Origin
Named for the train whistle that is frequently blown before stopping in small towns.
Full definition of whistle-stop
Noun
whistle-stop
(plural whistle-stops)- (idiomatic) A small train station.
- (politics) A brief stop on a campaign tour to make a speech or perform some other type of public electioneering
Usage notes
The unhyphenated spelling, whistle stop, is more common in political usage (except when used attributively). Although originally strictly a US term, it is now used in the UK and elsewhere.