1637. Massinger, Guardian, iv. 2. I have a stomach, and could content myself With this pretty whiting-mop.
1665. Homer à la Mode. He bids thee without further stops, Arme th' Greekes, with heads like whiting mops.
Whiting's-eye, subs. phr. (old).—An
amorous glance, sheep's-eye
(q.v.).
1673. Wycherley, Gentleman Dancing Master, iv. 1. I saw him just now give her the languishing eye, as they call it, that is, the whiting's eye, of old called the sheep's eye.
Whitsun-ale, subs. phr. (old).—See
Ale. Hence Whitsun-lord
= the master of ceremonies
at a Whitsun merrymaking.
1633. Jonson, Tale of a Tub, Prol. A cooper's wit, or some such busy spark, Illumining the high constable and his clerk, And all the neighbourhood from old records Of antique proverbs, drawn from Whitson-lords.
Whittle, verb (old).—1. To confess
at the gallows. Also
(thieves') to nose (q.v.), to
peach (q.v.).
1727. Swift, Clever Tom Flinch. I must speak to the people a little, But I'll see you all damn'd before I will whittle.
2. See Whittled.
Whittled, adj. (common).—Drunk,
cut (q.v.): see Screwed.
Hence whittle, verb = to make
tipsy, and as subs. = a merrymaking,
drinking-bout, etc.
1586. Withals, Dict., 560. In vino veritas. When men are well whitled, their toungs run at randome.
1594. Lyly, Mother Bombie, iii. 3. The best was, our masters were as well whitled as wee, for they yet lie by it.
1609. Holland, Ammianus Marcel. Within the province of Africanus, ruling over Pannonia Secunda, some boone companions in Sirmium having taken their cups very liberally untill they were well whitled, supposing no man to bee by for to heare their talke, fell freely to finding fault with the present government.
16[?]. Owle's Almanacke, 47. Taylors shall be patternes and presidents to sober men, a bushell of wheat to a tankard of beere, lest they cut their fingers when they are whitteld.
16[?]. Harsnett, Popish Impost., x. 3. A Christmas temptation, after the devil was well whitled.
1628. Verstegan, Rest. Dec. Intell., 230. After the Britans were wel whittled with wine he fell to taunting and girding at them.
d.1742. Somervile, Poems, 'Yeoman of Kent.' A lying-in's expensive too, In cradles, whittles, spice-bowls, sack.
Whizzer, subs. (provincial).—A
falsehood (Halliwell).
Whoball (John), proverb (old).—See
quot.
1614. Terence in English. Se deludi facile haud patitur. You cannot easily make him a foole. He is none of John Whoballs children. Hee will be abused at no mans hands if he may.
Whole. See Boiling, Team,
and all nouns in the various combinations.
Whop, (Wap, Woppe, Whap),
subs, (old literary: now colloquial).—A
blow. As verb = to
beat.
c.1360. Alliterative Poems (Morris) [Oliphant, New Eng., i. 63. We find the new verbs shout . . . wappe, our whop].
c.1362. York Plays, 326. For a whapp so he whyned and weasid And gitt no lasshe to the lurdan was lente.
1862. Thackeray, Philip, xviii. Bunch had put his boys to a famous school, where they might whop the French boys and learn all the modern languages.
Intj. (American).—Whack! (q.v.), Whip! (q.v.), Bang! (q.v.).
1840. Crockett, Tour, 109. But a day of payment is coming; and, if the money ain't forthcoming, out comes a Randolph writ, and whap goes your money and liberty.
