Wall-eyed, adj. phr. (colloquial).—1. Having eyes with an undue proportion of white; 'all white like a plastered wall' (Grose): hence (2) = glaring, fierce, threatening. Any work irregularly or ill done is called a wall-eyed job. It is applied also to any very irregular action.
1580. Baret, Alvearie. A horse with a wall-eye, glauciolus.
1596. Shakspeare, King John, iv. 3. 49. This is . . . the vilest stroke That ever wall-eyed wrath, or staring rage, Presented to the tears of soft remorse.
1600. Jonson, Cynthia's Revels, v. 2. A pair of wall-eyes in a face forced.
1766. Goldsmith, Vicar, x. Blackberry was wall-eyed, and the colt wanted a tail.
Wallflower, subs. (common).—A
Orig. a lady unable to obtain
a partner in a dance; now applied
to anyone of either sex who
goes to a ball but does not dance,
whether from inability, choice,
or neglect. As adj. = neglected,
passé.
d. 1830. Praed, County Ball. The maiden wallflowers of the room Admire the freshness of his bloom.
1860. Holmes, Professor, vi. Men . . . have shown as much self-devotion in carrying a lone wallflower down to the supper-table as ever saint or martyr in the act that has canonized his name.
1881. Braddon, Asphodel, xx. Whom he had incontinently left to her own reflections, or to such conversation as she might be able to find among sundry other dowagers arrived at the same wallflower stage of existence.
1902. Free Lance, 22 Nov., 192. 1. When the old formula of 'Ladies first' In good society will be reversed, And male wall-flowers sitting out at dances Will reckon up their matrimonial chances.
2. (common).—In pl. = second-*hand garments exposed for sale: cf. Hand-me-downs, Reach-me-downs, etc.
Wallop, verb (common).—To
beat, flog, thrash. Also as subs.
a severe blow; walloping
a good trouncing. Also walloper.
1838. Neal, Charcoal Sketches. All I know was wallopping into me; I took larnin' through the skin. Ibid. (1850), Orson Dabbs. There's nothing like wallopping for taking the conceit out of fellows who think they know more than their betters.
1843-4. Haliburton, Attaché, xviii. I grabs right hold of the cow's tail, and yelled and screamed like mad, and walloped away at her like anything.
1851-61. Mayhew, London Lab., 1. 468. He kept me without grub and walloped me.
1861. Times, 'On American Affairs.' Let us wallop great Doodle now when he is down, If we wallops him well we will do him up brown.
1888. Scribner's Mag., Nov., 79. Trying to get at a good place to wallop you with his ferule.
2. (provincial).—Generic for great effort or agitation: e.g. (a) to boil and bubble: see Pot-walloper; (b) move or gallop quickly; (c) to tumble about. Also as subs., with the usual derivatives.
c. 1360. William of Palerne [E.E.T.S], 1770. Or he wiste, he was war of the white beres, Thei went a-wai a wallop as thei wod semed.
c. 1400. Generydes [E.E.T.S.], 3325 And he anon to hym com waloping.
c. 1440. Merlin [E.E.T.S.], ii. 233. Than the Kynge rode formest hym-self a grete walop, for sore hym longed to wite how the Kynge Tradilynaunt hym contened.
c. 1440. Morte Arthure [E.E.T.S.], 2147. Swerdez swangene in two, Sweltand Knyghtez Lyes wyde opyne welterande one walopande stedes.
d. 1691. Barlow, Hasty Pudding, i. The yellow flour . . . Swells in the flood and thickens to a paste, Then puffs and wallops.
