Eastern must have done it with some amusement but they referred to their 727s as "WhisperJets". The JT8D did anything but whisper, especially the JT8D-17s which sounded as if they were about to come apart at takeoff thrust.. a cross between a scream and a roar.
I think they were referring to the noise level in the cabin...which wasn't a whisper, but was much improved except in back between the -8Ds. And in front, come to think of it.
When I was a wee lad, when Stage 3 was the new hot thing that people were just getting around to complying with, the family house was on the extended centerline of the 34s at Seattle. There was little question as to when a 727 was coming in. Even hush kitted, the airplane is noisy.