[7] Wheezes heard at the end of both expiratory and inspiratory phases usually signify the periodic opening of deflated alveoli, as occurs in some diseases that lead to collapse of parts of the lungs.
Localized processes, such as the occlusion of a portion of the respiratory tree, are more likely to produce wheezing at that location, hence the sound will be loudest and radiate outwardly.
Stridor heard solely in the inspiratory phase of respiration usually indicates an upper respiratory tract obstruction, "as with aspiration of a foreign body (such as the fabled pediatric peanut).
"[10] Stridor in the inspiratory phase is usually heard with obstruction in the upper airways, such as the trachea, epiglottis, or larynx; because a block here means that no air may reach either lung, this condition is a medical emergency.
Biphasic stridor (occurring during both the inspiratory and expiratory phases) indicates narrowing at the level of the glottis or subglottis, the point between the upper and lower airways.
[2] To wheeze implies an inability to speak clearly, so in politics it refers to an unorthodox or less than ethical maneuver that is not actually illegal, but relies on an element of deception or sleight of hand, being an intermediate between a workaround and a scam.
[11] In this context wheezing is notably linked with the slang expression Joe Blow meaning any external person or group beyond a secretive fraternity.