Wabble, or WOBBLE, to move from side to side, to roll about. Johnson terms it “a low, barbarous word.”

Walk into, to overcome, to demolish; “I’ll WALK INTO his affections,” i.e., I will scold or thrash him. “He WALKED INTO the grub,” i.e., he demolished it. Walk into also means to get into the debt of any one, as “He WALKED INTO the affections of all the tradesmen in the neighbourhood.”

Walk-over, a re-election without opposition.—Parliamentary, but derived from the turf, where a horse which has no rivals WALKS OVER the course. See DEAD HEAT.

Walk your chalks, be off, or run away,—spoken sharply by any one who wishes to get rid of a troublesome person. See CHALKS.

Walker, a letter-carrier or postman. From an old song, called, “Walker, the twopenny postman.”

Walker! or Hookey Walker! an ejaculation of incredulity, used when a person is telling a story which you know to be all gammon, or worse. One explanation of the phrase is this:—“Years ago there was a person named Walker, an aquiline-nosed Jew, who exhibited an orrery, which he called by the erudite name of ‘Eidouranion.’ He was also a popular lecturer on astronomy, and often, telescope in hand, invited his pupils to ‘take a sight’ at the moon and stars. The lecturer’s phrase struck his schoolboy auditory, who frequently ‘took a sight’ with that gesture of outstretched arm and adjustment to nose and eye which was the first garnish of the popular saying. The next step was to assume phrase and gesture as the outward and visible mode of knowingness in general.” This has been denied, however, and a statement made that Hookey Walker was a magistrate of dreaded acuteness and incredulity, whose hooked nose gave the title of “beak” to all his successors; it is also said, moreover, that the gesture of applying the thumb to the nose and agitating the little finger, as an expression of “Don’t you wish you may get it?” is considerably older than the first story would seem to indicate. There are many and various explanations of the term, given according to the development of fancy.—Notes and Queries, iv. 425.

Walking the pegs, a method of cheating at the game of cribbage, by a species of legerdemain, the sharper either moving his own pegs forward, or those of his antagonist backward, according to the state of the game.

Wallflower, a person who goes to a ball and looks on without dancing, either from choice or through not being able to obtain a partner. From the position.

Wallflowers, left-off and “regenerated” clothes exposed for sale on the bunks and shop-boards of Seven Dials. See REACH-ME-DOWNS.

Wallabee-track, Colonial slang for the tramp. When a man in Australia is “on the road” looking for employment, he is said to be on the WALLABEE-TRACK.

Wallop, to beat, or thrash. John Gough Nichols derives this word from an ancestor of the Earl of Portsmouth, one Sir John Wallop, Knight of the Garter, who in King Henry VIII.’s time distinguished himself by WALLOPING the French; but it is more probably connected with wheal, a livid swelling in the skin after a blow. See POT-WALLOPER.

Walloping, a beating or thrashing; sometimes used in an adjective sense, as big, or very large.

Wapping, or WHOPPING, of a large size, great.

Warm, rich, or well off.

Warm, to thrash or beat; “I’ll WARM your jacket.” To WARM the wax of one’s ear is to give a severe blow on the side of the head. To WARM is also to rate or abuse roundly. Also varied, as, “to make it hot” for any one.

Warming-pan, a large old-fashioned gold watch. A person placed in an office to hold it for another. See W.P.

War-paint, evening dress. When people go out in full costume they are often said to have their WAR-PAINT on. Also, military “full-fig.”

Wash, “It wont WASH,” i.e., will not stand investigation, will not “bear the rub,” is not genuine, can’t be believed.

Waster, a useless, clumsy, or ill-made person.

Watch and seals, a sheep’s head and pluck.

Watchmaker, a pickpocket or stealer of watches. Often called “a WATCHMAKER in a crowd.”

Water-bewitched, very weak tea, the third brew (or the first at some houses). Sometimes very weak tea is called “husband’s tea,” in allusion to the wife taking the first brew, and leaving the rest for her husband. Also grog much diluted.

Water-dogs, Norfolk dumplings.

Water gunner, a marine artilleryman.

Water the dragon, or WATER ONE’S NAG, a hint for retiring.

Waterman, a blue silk handkerchief. The friends of the Oxford and Cambridge boats’ crews always wear these—light blue for Cambridge, and a darker shade for Oxford.

Wattles, ears.

Wax, a rage. “Let’s get him in a WAX.” Waxy, cross, ill-tempered.

Wayz-goose, a printers’ annual dinner, the funds for which are collected by stewards regularly appointed by “the chapel.”

Weather eye, the cautious eye. Any one who is supposed to have an extra good knowledge of things in general, or to be hard to impose on or cheat, is said to have his WEATHER EYE well open.

Weather-headed, so written by Sir Walter Scott in his Peveril of the Peak, but it is more probably WETHER-HEADED, as applied to a person having a “sheepish” look.

Weaving, a notorious card-sharping trick, done by keeping certain cards on the knee, or between the knee and the under side of the table, and using them when required by changing them for the cards held in the hand.

Weaving leather aprons. When a knowing blade is asked what he has been doing lately, and does not choose to tell, his reply is, that he has been very busy WEAVING LEATHER APRONS. (From the reports of a celebrated trial for gold robbery on the South-Western Railway.) Other similar replies are, “I have been making a trundle for a goose’s eye,” or a “whim-wham to bridle a goose.” Sometimes a man will describe himself as “a doll’s-eye WEAVER.”

Wedge, silver.—Old Cant.

Wedge-feeder, a silver spoon.

Weed, a cigar; the WEED, tobacco generally.

Weed, a hatband.

Weight-for-age, a sporting phrase which, applied to a race, distinguishes it from a handicap or catch-weight event, and informs all interested that the animals which run carry according to their ages, and not their abilities. Winners of certain great races generally carry penalties in addition to WEIGHT-FOR-AGE, for the purpose of equalizing matters somewhat; but as a rule the results are fairly foreshadowed as soon as in these races the horses are at the post, or as soon as the starters are positively known.

Wejee, a chimney-pot. Often applied to any clever invention, as, “That’s a regular WEJEE.”

Well, to pocket, to save money. Any one of fair income and miserly habits is said to “WELL it.”

Welt, to thrash with a strap or stick. Probably meaning to raise wheals.

West central, a water-closet, the initials being the same as those of the London Postal District. It is said that for this reason very delicate people refuse to obey Rowland Hill’s instructions in this particular. An old maid, who lived in this district, was particularly shocked at having W.C. marked on all her letters, and informed the letter-carrier that she could not think of submitting to such an indecent fashion. On being informed that the letters would not be forwarded without the obnoxious initials, she remarked that she would have them left at the Post-Office. “Then, marm,” said the fellow, with a grin, “they will put P.O. on them, which will be more ondacenter than the tother.”

Wet, a drink, a drain.

Wet, to drink. Low people generally ask an acquaintance to WET any recently purchased article, i.e., to stand treat on the occasion. “Wet (originally WHET, to sharpen,) your whistle,” i.e., take a drink; “WET the other eye,” i.e., take another glass. See SHED A TEAR.

Wet Quaker, a man who pretends to be religious, and is a dram-drinker on the sly.

Wet un, a diseased cow, unfit for human food, but nevertheless sold to make into sausages. Compare staggering-Bob.

Whack, a share or lot. “Give me my WHACK,” give me my share.—Scotch, SWEG, or SWACK.

Whack, or WHACKING, a blow, or a thrashing.

Whack, to beat.

Whacker, a lie of unusual dimensions, sometimes called a “round un.”

Whacking, large, fine, or strong.

Whacks, to go WHACKS, to divide equally; to enter into partnership.

Whale, “very like a WHALE,” said of anything that is very improbable. A speech of Polonius’s in Hamlet.

What d’yecall’em, a similar expression to “thingumy.”

Wheeze, a joke, an anecdote, or dialogue, not strictly connected with a piece that is being played, but introduced by an actor, sometimes with the assistance and for the benefit of others. The dialogues which take place between the songs at nigger entertainments are also known as WHEEZES. The word actually means a new notion as applied to dialogue.

Wherret, or WORRIT, to scold, trouble, or annoy.—Old English.

Whid, a word. Sometimes, a fib, a falsehood, a word too much.—Modern Slang, from the ancient cant.

Whiddle, to enter into a parley, or hesitate with many words, &c.; to inform, or discover. See WHEEDLE.

Whim-wham, an alliterative term, synonymous with fiddle-faddle, riff-raff, &c., denoting nonsense, rubbish, &c.

Whip, after the usual allowance of wine is drunk at mess, those who wish for more put a shilling each into a glass handed round to procure a further supply. Whip-round is now a common term for a subscription of a similar kind to that described.

Whip, to “WHIP anything up,” to take it up quickly; from the method of hoisting heavy goods or horses on board ship by a WHIP, or running tackle, from the yard-arm. Generally used to express anything dishonestly taken.

Whip, the member of the House of Commons whose duty it is to collect and keep together his party to vote at divisions. To give him greater influence, the ministerial WHIP holds, or is supposed to hold, the minor patronage of the Treasury.

Whipjack, a sham shipwrecked sailor, called also a turnpike-sailor.

Whip the cat, when an operative works at a private house by the day. Term used amongst tailors and carpenters.

Whipper-snapper, a waspish, diminutive person.

Whisper, a tip given in secret, a rumour which is spread under the pretence of its being a secret. To “give the WHISPER,” is to give a quick tip to any one. An owner’s final instruction to his jockey is called “the WHISPER at the post.”

Whisper, to borrow money—generally small sums—as, “He WHISPERED me for a tanner.”

Whisperer, a constant borrower.

Whistling-Billy, or puffing-Billy, a locomotive engine.

Whistling-shop, a place in which spirits are sold without a licence.

Whitechapel or Westminster brougham, a costermonger’s donkey-barrow.

Whitechapel, anything mean or paltry. Potting one’s opponent at billiards is often known as “Whitechapel play.”

Whitechapel, in tossing, when “two out of three wins.” See SUDDEN DEATH.

Whitechapel fortune, a clean gown and a pair of pattens.

White eye, military slang for a very strong and deleterious kind of whisky, so called because its potency is believed to turn the eyes round in the sockets, leaving the whites only visible.

White feather, “to show the WHITE FEATHER,” to evince cowardice. In times when great attention was paid to the breeding of game-cocks, a white feather in the tail was considered a proof of cross-breeding.

White lie, a harmless lie, one told to reconcile people at variance. “Mistress is not at home, sir,” is a WHITE LIE often told by servants.

White-livered, or LIVER-FACED, cowardly, much afraid, very mean.

White prop, a diamond pin.—East London.

White satin, gin,—term amongst women. See SATIN.

White serjeant, a man’s superior officer in the person of his better half.

White tape, gin,—term used principally by female servants. See RIBBON.

White un, a silver watch.

Whitewash, to rehabilitate. A person who took the benefit of the Insolvent Act was said to have been WHITEWASHED. Now said of a person who compromises with his creditors.

Whitewash, a glass of sherry as a finale, after drinking port and claret.

Whittle, to nose or peach.—Old Cant. To cut and hack as with a pocket-knife.—American.

Whop, to beat, or hide. Corruption of WHIP; sometimes spelt WAP.

Whop-straw, cant name for a countryman; Johnny Whop-straw, in allusion to threshing.

Whopper, a big one, a lie. A lie not easily swallowed.

Widdle, to shine. See OLIVER.

Wide-awake, a broad-brimmed felt or stuff hat,—so called because it never had a nap, and never wants one.

Wido, wide awake, no fool.

Wife, a fetter fixed to one leg.—Prison.

Wiffle-woffles, in the dumps, sorrow, stomach-ache.

Wig, move off, go away.—North Country Cant.

Wigging, a rebuke before comrades. If the head of a firm calls a clerk into the parlour, and rebukes him, it is an EARWIGGING; if done before the other clerks, it is a WIGGING.

Wild, a village.—Tramps’ term. See VILE.

Wild, vexed, cross, passionate,—said to be from WILLED (SELF-WILLED), in opposition to “tamed” or “subdued.” In the United States the word “mad” is supplemented with a vulgar meaning similar to our Cockneyism WILD; and to make a man mad on the other side of the Atlantic is to vex him, or “rile” his temper—not to render him a raving maniac, or a fit subject for Bedlam.

Wild Irishman, the train between Euston and Holyhead, in connection with the Kingstown mail-boats.

Wild oats, youthful pranks. A fast young man is said to be “sowing his WILD OATS.”

William, a bill. The derivation is obvious.

Willow, a cricket-bat. From the material of which it is made. The great batsman, W. G. Grace, is often called “champion of the WILLOW.”

Wind, “to raise the WIND,” to procure money; “to slip one’s WIND,” a coarse expression, meaning to die. See RAISE.

Wind, “I’ll WIND your cotton,” i.e., I will give you some trouble. The Byzantine General, Narses, used the same kind of threat to the Greek Empress,—“I will spin a thread that they shall not be able to unravel.”

Windows, the eyes, or “peepers.”

Winey, intoxicated.

Winged, hurt, but not dangerously, by a bullet. Originally to be shot in the arm or shoulder. To slightly wound birds is to WING them.

Winkin, “he went off like WINKIN,” i.e., very quickly. From WINK, to shut the eye quickly.

Winks, periwinkles.

Winn, a penny—Ancient Cant. See introductory chapter.

Wipe, a pocket-handkerchief.—Old Cant.

Wipe, a blow. Frequently sibilated to SWIPE, a cricket-term.

Wipe, to strike; “he fetcht me a WIPE over the knuckles,” he struck me on the knuckles; “to WIPE a person down,” to flatter or pacify; “to wipe off a score,” to pay one’s debts, in allusion to the slate or chalk methods of account-keeping; “to WIPE a person’s eye,” to shoot game which he has missed; hence to obtain an advantage by superior activity. With old topers “WIPING one’s eye,” is equivalent to giving or taking another drink.

Wipe-out, to kill or utterly destroy. This is an Americanism, but is in pretty general use here.

Wire-in, a London street phrase in general use, which means to go in with a will. In its original form of “WIRE-IN, and get your name up,” it was very popular among London professional athletes. The phrase is now general, and any one who has a hard task before him, knows he must WIRE-IN to bring matters to a successful issue.

Wire-pullers, powerful political partisans, who do their work from “behind the scenes.”

With and without, words by themselves, supposed to denote the existence or non-existence of sugar in grog. Generally “warm WITH” and “cold WITHOUT.”

Wobble-shop, a shop where beer is sold without a licence.

Wobbler, a foot soldier, a term of contempt used by cavalrymen.

Wobbly, rickety, unsteady, ill-fitting.

Wolf, to eat greedily.

Wooden spoon, the last junior optime who takes a University degree; denoting one who is only fit to stay at home, and stir porridge.—Cambridge. The expression is also parliamentary slang, and is applied to the member of the ministry whose name appears in the division lists least frequently. At the ministerial dinner annually held at Greenwich, such member sometimes has a wooden spoon presented to him.

Wooden surtout, a coffin, generally spoken of as a WOODEN SURTOUT with nails for buttons.

Wooden wedge, the last name in the classical honours’ list at Cambridge. The last in mathematical honours had long been known as the WOODEN SPOON; but when the classical Tripos was instituted in 1824, it was debated among the undergraduates what sobriquet should be given to the last on the examination list. Curiously enough, the name that year which happened to be last was Wedgewood (a distinguished Wrangler). Hence the title.

Wool, courage, pluck; “you are not half-WOOLED,” term of reproach from one thief to another.

Wool, bravery, pluck. Term much in use among pugilists and their admirers. The highest praise that can be bestowed on a man of courage in lower-class circles is that which characterizes him as being “a reg’lar wooled un,” or “a rare WOOL-TOPPED UN.” Derived from the great pluck and perseverance shown by many pugilists of whole or partial colour, from Molyneux down to Bob Travers.

Woolbird, a lamb; “wing of a WOOLBIRD,” a shoulder of lamb.

Wool-gathering, said of any person’s wits when they are wandering, or in a reverie.

Wool-hole, the workhouse.

Woolly, out of temper.

Woolly, a blanket.

Work, to plan, or lay down and execute any course of action, to perform anything; “to WORK the bulls,” i.e., to get rid of false crown pieces; “to work the oracle,” to succeed by manœuvring, to concert a wily plan, to victimize,—a possible reference to the stratagems and bribes used to corrupt the Delphic oracle, and cause it to deliver a favourable response. “To WORK a street or neighbourhood,” to try at each house to sell all one can, or to bawl so that every housewife may know what is to be sold. The general plan is to drive a donkey-barrow a short distance, and then stop and cry. The term implies thoroughness; to “WORK a street well” is a common saying with a coster. “To WORK a benefit” is to canvass among one’s friends and acquaintances.

Worm. See PUMP.

Worm, a policeman.

Worming, removing the beard of an oyster or mussel.

W. P., or WARMING-PAN. A clergyman who holds a living pro tempore, under a bond of resignation, is styled a W. P., or WARMING-PAN rector, because he keeps the place warm for his successor. Warming-pan was a term first popularly applied to a substitute in the reign of James II.

Wrinkle, an idea, or a fancy; an additional piece of knowledge.

Write, as “to WRITE one’s name on a joint,” to leave the impression of one’s handiwork thereon, to have the first cut at anything; to leave visible traces of one’s presence anywhere.

Wylo, be off.—Anglo-Chinese.