d. 1800. Cowper, Yearly Distress. Come, neighbours, we must wag.
See Afraid.
Wag-FEATHER, subs. phr. (common).—A silly swaggerer.
Wagged-out, adv. (American).—Tired, worn out.
Waggle, verb (common).—1. To overcome, beat (q.v.), 'GET THE BETTER OF' (q.V.).
2. See Wag.
Waggoner, subs. (old nautical).—A book of sea-charts: cf. Liddel and Scott = a dictionary; Cruden = a concordance. [From Baron von Waegenaar's Speculum Nauticum, etc.]
1580. [Evans, Life Frampton, 30.] The Captain . . . called for the wagoner to enquire whether any rock had been observed by others that had formerly used those seas.
Wag-halter, subs. phr. (old).—A rogue, gallows-bird: i.e. one likely or deserving to wag in a halter; cf. Crack-rope, HalTER-SACK, etc.
1594. Lyly, Mother Bombie, ii. v. I'le teach my wag-halter to know grapes from barley.
1611. Cotgrave, Dict., s.v. Babouin. A craftie knave, a crack-rope, wag-halter, unhappie rogue.
1611. Tarleton, Jests. A wag-halter boy met Tarlton in the street, and said, Master Tarlton who lives longest?
1613. Marston, Insatiate Countess, i. I can tell you I am a mad wag-halter.
1629. Schoole of Good Manners. To mocke anybody by blabboring out the tongue is the part of waghalters and lewd boyes, not of well mannered children.
1638. Ford, Fancies; ii. 2. Not so terrible as a cross-tree that never grows, to a wag-halter page.
Wagon, subs. (American).—A bicycle.
Wag-pastie, subs. phr. (old).—A ROGUE, URCHIN, RASCAL (all of which see); an endearment.
1534. Udal, Roister Doister, iii. 2. M. Mery. Maide, with whom are ye so hastie? Tib. Not with you, sir, but with a little wagpastie, A deceiuer of folkes by subtill craft and guile.
Wagtail, subs. (old).—A term of familiarity or contempt: spec. a harlot (B. E. and Grose): see Tart. Hence, to wag the tail (of women) = to wanton, to copulate: see Greens and Ride.
1605. Shakspeare, Lear, ii. 2. Spare my grey beard, you wagtail.
1607. Middleton, Michaelmas Term, iii. 1. Wagtail, salute them all; they are friends.
WAG-WIT, subs. phr. (old).—A wag: in contempt.
1712. Steele, Spectator, 354. All the wagwits in the highway are grinning in applause of the ingenious rogue.
Waistcoat. Fœtid waistcoat, subs. phr. (obsolete—c. 1859).—A waistcoat of a flaunting and vulgar pattern.
Waistcoateer, subs. (old).—A harlot: see Tart. [The waistcoat was formerly in use by both sexes: when worn by women without a gown or upper dress it was considered the mark of a mad, low, or profligate woman.]
1602. Dekker, Honest Whore [Dodsley, Old Plays (Reed), iii. 291]. You'd best come like a mad-woman, without a band in your waistcoat, and the linings of your kirtle outward.
