whisper, v. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

whisper v.

1. to borrow money.

1865		Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 9/2: If both failed, he could ‘whisper’ a ‘bob’ or two from some of the ‘molls.’.
1895		Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 95: Whisper [...] to borrow money.

2. to beg someone for some money; to persuade someone to give one money.

1865		Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 21/1: You have ‘munged’ (begged) six ‘deeners’ already and you don’t ‘whisper’ me any more with your bell-ringing.
1873		Sl. Dict. 339: Whisper to borrow money ? generally small sums ? as, ‘He whispered me for a tanner.’.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 30 May 13/3: [W]e have no particular feeling in respect of the [Salvation] Army; though we could wish that when the next captain whispers us for a subscription he will have taken the precaution, before accosting us, to have combed the gravy out of his whiskers.
1893		Sporting Times 7 Jan. 1/3: We’re always being ‘whispered’ to and ‘bitten’ — understand?

3. see sling the whisper under whisper n.¹

In phrases

on the whisper

1. (Aus.) using influence (to gain admission) rather than paying.

1885

Bulletin (Sydney) 8 Aug. 13/3: [N]one of them appeared to have paid to come in. A young gentlemen who has faced many a frame, gave it out openly that he had ‘shoved in on the nod,’ while we could see several municipal employees about us, who had most certainly entered ‘on the whisper.’.

2. offering racing tips, thus whisper, to offer tips.

1894		Mirror of Life 15 Dec. 14/3: [W]e started with a ‘quid’s’ worth of silver, determined to stand everybody who was on the ‘whisper,’ placing a ‘bob’ as the limit.
1895		Truth (Sydney) 17 Mar. 6/2: Men who are said to live ‘on the whisper’ — that is, by whispering the names of alleged ‘good things’ and ‘dead certainties’ into the ears of confiding backers.
1901		Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 15 May 1/3: The cunning crew had been round and whispered the ‘good thing’.