1606. Shakspeare, Macbeth, ii. 1. 20. I dreamt last night of the three weird sisters.
Weism, subs. (literary).—The excessive
use of 'we' in journalism:
cf. Wegotism.
Well, adv. (American).—An elliptical
use of well is peculiar to
American speech, especially at
the beginning of sentences, as a
mere expletive or in answer to
questions. [Lowell, Biglow
Papers, Int.: 'Put before such a
phrase as "How d'e do?" it is
commonly short, and has the
sound of wul; but, in reply, it
is deliberative, and the various
shades of meaning which can be
conveyed by difference of intonation,
and by prolonging or abbreviating,
I should vainly attempt
to describe. I have heard ooa-ahl,
wahl, ahl, wǎl, and something
nearly approaching the
sound of le in able. Sometimes
before "I" it dwindles to a mere
l; as, "l I dunno." A friend
told me that he once heard
five "wells," like pioneers, precede
the answer to an inquiry
about the price of land. The
first was the ordinary wul, in
deference to custom; the second,
the long, perpending ooahl, with
a falling inflection of the voice;
the third, the same, but with the
voice rising, as if in despair of a
conclusion, into a plaintive, nasal
whine; the fourth, wulh, ending
in the aspirate of a sigh; and
then, fifth, came a short, sharp
wal, showing that a conclusion
had been reached.']
To dig a well at a river, verb. phr. (old).—To act the fool, do the unnecessary (Ray).
To put one in a well (in the garden, or in a hole), verb. phr. (old).—1. To defraud an accomplice of his share of booty: also to well one (Grose).
2. (common).—To inconvenience, nonplus, or get the better of.
Well-in, adj. phr. (Australian).—Well-off,
well-to-do, wealthy.
1891. Boldrewood, A Sydney-side Saxon, 1. He's a well-in squatter that took up runs or bought them cheap before free-selection, and land-boards, and rabbits, and all the other bothers that turn a chap's hair grey before his time.
Wellington, subs. (common).—In
pl. = (1) long-legged boots
largely worn in the early part of
the last century: they came well
up the leg, high enough in front
to cover the knee and to the
bend of the knee behind. Also
(2) shorter boots of similar
pattern covering the calf of the
leg, and worn (usually) under
the trousers: cf. Blucher,
Albert, Gladstone, etc. [A
favourite campaigning foot-gear
of the Duke of Wellington.]
d. 1821. Keats, Modern Love. Miss's comb is made a pearl tiara, And common Wellingtons turn Romeo boots.
1821. Coombe, Dr Syntax, iii. v. His gaiters, with dust covered o'er, Were seen upon his legs no more, But when he rode his top-boots shone, Or hussar'd à la Wellington.
1884. Yates, Fifty Years London Life, i. ii. No gentleman could wear anything in the daytime but Wellington boots, high up the leg, over which the trousers fitted tightly, covering most of the foot, and secured underneath by a broad strap.
