Editing Whist (section)

== In popular culture ==
{{in popular culture|section|date=June 2023}}

=== Literary references ===
* Three of Arthur Conan Doyle's [[Sherlock Holmes]] detective stories feature whist. In "[[The Adventure of the Empty House]]", Ronald Adair plays whist at one of his clubs shortly before he is murdered. In "[[The Devil's Foot|The Adventure of the Devil's Foot]]", Brenda Tregennis plays whist with her brothers George, Mortimer and Owen shortly before she is murdered. In "[[The Red-Headed League]]", the banker Mr. Merryweather complains that he is missing his regular rubber of whist in order to help Holmes catch a bank robber.
* [[Jules Amédée Barbey d'Aurevilly|Barbey d'Aurevilly]], in a story from {{lang|fr|[[Les Diaboliques (book)|Les diaboliques]]}}, "The Underside of the Cards of a Game of Whist", traces the secret affair between a lady and an expert whist player, leading to an horrific act.
* [[Edgar Allan Poe]] briefly mentioned whist in his tale "[[The Murders in the Rue Morgue]]", alluding to the analytical mind needed to play:{{blockquote|Whist has long been noted for its influence upon what is termed the calculating power; and men of the highest order of intellect have been known to take an apparently unaccountable delight in it,&nbsp;...}}
* [[Jules Verne]] uses whist playing to describe [[Phileas Fogg]] in ''[[Around the World in Eighty Days (novel)|Around the World in Eighty Days]]'':

{{Blockquote|His only pastime was reading the papers and playing whist. He frequently won at this quiet game, so very appropriate to his nature}}

* Whist figures prominently in much of Balzac's Comedie Humane, including his great novel, Modeste Mignon.
<!--* Whist figures prominently in [[Edith Wharton]]'s ''[[The House of Mirth]]'' as part of the gradual decline of the novel's central character, Lilly, who gambles much of her money (and subsequently loses it) during extended games of whist.-->
* Whist figures extensively in [[C. S. Forester]]'s [[Horatio Hornblower]] series. Hornblower is featured as living off his winnings from playing whist while a half-pay [[lieutenant]], and famously playing whist with subordinate officers before a battle.
* The same is true in the [[Richard Sharpe (fictional character)|Richard Sharpe]] series by [[Bernard Cornwell]] and was used mainly to portray gambling much the same way poker is today.
* Whist is often enjoyed by [[Jack Aubrey]] and [[Stephen Maturin]] while at sea in the [[Aubrey–Maturin series]] of novels by [[Patrick O'Brian]].
* In ''[[Scarlett (Ripley novel)|Scarlett]]'', the sequel to ''[[Gone with the Wind (novel)|Gone with the Wind]]'', [[Alexandra Ripley]] mentions several times that [[Scarlett O'Hara]] is an extremely skillful whist player.
* Miss Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Wickham discuss Mr. Darcy during a whist party in chapter 16 of [[Jane Austen]]'s ''[[Pride and Prejudice]]''.  The game is also mentioned in her books ''[[Mansfield Park]]'', ''[[Emma (novel)|Emma]]'', and ''[[Sense and Sensibility]]''.
* In [[Nikolai Gogol]]'s play ''[[The Government Inspector|The Inspector General]]'', a character Hlestakov lies about playing whist with a group of influential ambassadors to look important. It is also prominent in Gogol's poema, "[[Dead Souls]]", and mentioned in Gogol's short stories "[[The Overcoat]]", "[[The Carriage]]", and "[[The Nose (Gogol short story)|The Nose]]".
* In the opening chapter of [[Leo Tolstoy]]'s novella ''[[The Death of Ivan Ilyich]]'', the characters contrast the solemnity of the funeral ceremony with the desire to escape and play whist.
* Whist is played by many characters in [[Ivan Turgenev]]'s novel ''[[Fathers and Sons (novel)|Fathers and Sons]]''.
* In ''[[Middlemarch]]'' by [[George Eliot]], the game is referenced numerous times as an aristocratic pursuit played frequently at the Vincy residence. In particular, the clergyman Mr. Farebrother supplements his income by playing for money, a pursuit looked down upon by many of his parishioners.
* In his autobiography, ''Groucho and Me'', [[Groucho Marx]] talks about playing whist with an ex-girlfriend during a chapter on her husband's insomnia.
* In ''[[The Fiery Cross (novel)|The Fiery Cross]]'', [[Diana Gabaldon]] describes a high-stakes whist game between Jamie Fraser, "who was indeed an excellent card player. He also knew most of the possible ways of cheating at cards. However, whist was difficult, if not impossible to cheat at", and Phylip Wylie, who had angered Fraser by making advances to his wife.
* In ''Life of [[Henry Clay]]'', [[Carl Schurz]] notes that "his fondness for card-playing, which, although in his early years he had given up games of chance, still led him to squander but too much time upon whist."
* In [[DC Comics]]' ''[[Starman (Jack Knight)|Starman]]'' series it is revealed that [[The Shade]] is a whist player, and enjoyed playing with [[Scalphunter (DC Comics)|Brian Savage]] (it was also noted that The Shade would regularly win at whist, while Savage would regularly win at poker).
* In ''[[The Leopard]]'', by [[Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa]], members of the Falconeri family and the priest play the game, much to the joy of a Piedmontese guest, reassured of their civilized ways.
* In his autobiography, ''Harold Bauer: His Book'', pianist [[Harold Bauer]] laments his inability to play well under pressure. "I suffered similarly whenever I played chess or whist, which excited me so terribly that I always had nightmares from the thought of how I ''might'' have played."
* ''[[The Secret Agent]]'' by [[Joseph Conrad]] mentions the game:

{{Blockquote|At the sound of that name, falling unexpectedly into this annoying affair, the Assistant Commissioner dismissed brusquely the vague remembrance of his daily whist party at his club. It was the most comforting habit of his life, in a mainly successful display of his skill without the assistance of any subordinate. He entered his club to play from five to seven, before going home to dinner, forgetting for those two hours whatever was distasteful in his life, as though the game were a beneficent drug for allaying the pangs of moral discontent.}}

* In [[Mary Boykin Chesnut]]'s ''Civil War Diary'', whist was the most frequently played card game in her social circle while she lived in Richmond, Virginia.
* In [[Colson Whitehead]]'s ''The Underground Railroad'', the game is mentioned as a way Ajarry was sold to another slaveowner.
* In [[R. L. Stine]]'s ''Ghost Beach'' in the ''[[Goosebumps]]'' book series, the game is played by the protagonists.
* In [[Charles Dickens]]' ''[[The Pickwick Papers]]'', [[Samuel Pickwick|Mr. Pickwick]] plays whist:{{blockquote|The rubber was conducted with all that gravity of deportment and sedateness of demeanour which befit the pursuit entitled "whist"—a solemn observance, to which, as it appears to us, the title of "game" has been very irreverently and ignominiously applied}}
* In Dickens' ''[[David Copperfield]]'', whist is mentioned three times: in Chapter 18 ("A Retrospect") as the pastime of Mr. Chestle, the future husband of Miss Larkins; in Chapter 37 ("A Little Cold Water"), Mr. Mills is said to frequent a whist club; and in Chapter 41 ("Dora's Aunts"), as the game played by Mr. Pidger (more precisely in the form of short whist).
* In Dickens' ''[[Great Expectations]]'', Pip plays whist at [[Miss Havisham]]'s house.
* In ''[[In Search of Lost Time]]'', [[Marcel Proust]] describes a game of whist played by a group of dinner guests, one of whom is ridiculed for not knowing the rules.
* In ''[[The Doll (Prus novel)|The Doll]]'' by [[Bolesław Prus]], whist is mentioned in several scenes; Stanisław Wokulski and Tomasz Łęcki play for money.
* August Wilson's ''Seven Guitars''.{{explain|date=August 2024}}

=== In media ===
* In ''[[All American Chump]]'' (1936) math whiz Elmer ([[Stuart Erwin]]) mentions he plays whist, and is so good that nobody in his hometown will play with him because he always wins.
* In ''[[Around the World in 80 Days (1956 film)|Around the World in 80 Days]]'' (1956) [[Phileas Fogg]] ([[David Niven]]) mentions and is seen playing whist several times throughout the film.
* In ''[[The Young Victoria]]'', when [[William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne|Lord Melbourne]] tries to provide advice to [[Albert, Prince Consort|Prince Albert]], the Prince tells him, "Lord Melbourne, forgive me but you seem to have confused me with a member of your club. I am not your drinking companion nor your whist partner. I am the husband of your sovereign. And as such, I will make my own decisions, and I neither seek nor invite your advice. Good evening."
* In 2018's ''[[The Favourite]]'', [[Abigail Masham, Baroness Masham|Abigail Hill]] is mentioned to have become impoverished after her father lost their fortune at whist, along with various other references throughout.
* In series 5 of the television show ''[[Peaky Blinders (TV series)|Peaky Blinders]]'', [[Tommy Shelby]] recalls a story of his time in [[France]] during [[the Great War]] while threatening a [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|member of parliament]] who refuses to pay him in full for a hired killing. "I spent a long time waiting for the cavalry, me. One time, me and my comrades waited three days. When the cavalry finally came, an officer on the back of a fine white horse joked that he'd been delayed playing a game of whist. So, I took out my Webley revolver and I shot him in the head, stole his horse, reported him for cowardice. All for a game of chance."