1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue Part 86

WHINYARD. A sword.

TO WHIP THE c.o.c.k. A piece of sport practised at wakes, horse-races, and fairs in Leicestershire: a c.o.c.k being tied or fastened into a hat or basket, half a dozen carters blindfolded, and armed with their cart whips, are placed round it, who, after being turned thrice about, begin to whip the c.o.c.k, which if any one strikes so as to make it cry out, it becomes his property; the joke is, that instead of whipping the c.o.c.k they flog each other heartily.

WHIP JACKS. The tenth order of the canting crew, rogues who having learned a few sea terms, beg with counterfeit pa.s.ses, pretending to be sailors shipwrecked on the neighbouring coast, and on their way to the port from whence they sailed.

TO WHIP OFF. To run away, to drink off greedily, to s.n.a.t.c.h. He whipped away from home, went to the alehouse, where he whipped off a full tankard, and coming back whipped off a fellow's hat from his head.

WHIP-BELLY VENGEANCE, or pinch-gut vengeance, of which he that gets the most has the worst share. Weak or sour beer.

WHIPPER-SNAPPER. A diminutive fellow.

WHIPSHIRE. Yorkshire.

WHIPSTER. A sharp or subtle fellow.

WHIPT SYLLABUB. A flimsy, frothy discourse or treatise, without solidity.

WHIRLYGIGS. t.e.s.t.i.c.l.es.

WHISKER. A great lie.

WHISKER SPLITTER. A man of intrigue.

WHISKIN. A shallow brown drinking bowl.

WHISKY. A malt spirit much drank in Ireland and Scotland; also a one-horse chaise. See TIM WHISKY.

WHISTLE. The throat. To wet one's whistle; to drink.

WHISTLING SHOP. Rooms in the King's Bench and Fleet prison where drams are privately sold.

WHIT. [i. e. Whittington's.] Newgate. Cant.--Five rum-padders are rubbed in the darkmans out of the whit, and are piked into the deuseaville; five highwaymen broke out of Newgate in the night, and are gone into the country.

WHITE RIBBIN. Gin.

WHITE FEATHER. He has a white feather; he is a coward; an allusion to a game c.o.c.k, where having a white leather is a proof he is not of the true game breed.

WHITE-LIVERED. Cowardly, malicious.

WHITE LIE. A harmless lie, one not told with a malicious intent, a lie told to reconcile people at variance.

WHITE SERJEANT. A man fetched from the tavern or ale-house by his wife, is said to be arrested by the white serjeant.

WHITE SWELLING. A woman big with child is said to have a white swelling.

WHITE TAPE. Geneva.

WHITE WOOL. Geneva.

WHITECHAPEL. Whitechapel portion; two smocks, and what nature gave. Whitechapel breed; fat, ragged, and saucy: see ST. GILES'S BREED. Whitechapel beau; one who dresses with a needle and thread, and undresses with a knife. To play at whist Whitechapel fashion; i.e. aces and kings first.

WHITEWASHED. One who has taken the benefit of an act of insolvency, to defraud his creditors, is said to have been whitewashed.

WHITFIELITE. A follower of George Whitfield, a Methodist.

WHITHER-GO-YE. A wife: wives being sometimes apt to question their husbands whither they are going.

WHITTINGTON'S COLLEGE. Newgate; built or repaired by the famous lord mayor of that name.

Wh.o.r.e'S BIRD. A debauched fellow, the largest of all birds.

He sings more like a wh.o.r.e's bird than a canary bird; said of one who has a strong manly voice.

Wh.o.r.e'S CURSE. A piece of gold coin, value five shillings and three pence, frequently given to women of the town by such as professed always to give gold, and who before the introduction of those pieces always gave half a guinea.

WHOHE'S KITLING, or Wh.o.r.e'S SON. A b.a.s.t.a.r.d.

Wh.o.r.e-MONGER. A man that keeps more than one mistress.

A country gentleman, who kept a female friend, being reproved by the parson of the parish, and styled a wh.o.r.e-monger, asked the parson whether he had a cheese in his house; and being answered in the affirmative, 'Pray,'

says he, 'does that one cheese make you a cheese-monger?'

Wh.o.r.e PIPE. The p.e.n.i.s.

WHOW BALL. A milk-maid: from their frequent use of the word whow, to make the cow stand still in milking. Ball is the supposed name of the cow.

WIBBLE. Bad drink.

WIBLING'S WITCH. The four of clubs: from one James Wibling, who in the reign of King James I. grew rich by private gaming, and was commonly observed to have that card, and never to lose a game but when he had it not.

WICKET. A cas.e.m.e.nt; also a little door.

WIDOW'S WEEDS. Mourning clothes of a peculiar fashion, denoting her state. A gra.s.s widow; a discarded mistress.

a widow bewitched; a woman whose husband is abroad, and said, but not certainly known, to be dead.

WIFE. A fetter fixed to one leg.

WIFE IN WATER COLOURS. A mistress, or concubine; water colours being, like their engagements, easily effaced, or dissolved.

WIGANNOWNS. A man wearing a large wig.

WIGSBY. Wigsby; a man wearing a wig.

WILD ROGUES. Rogues trained up to stealing from their cradles.

WILD SQUIRT. A looseness.

WILD-GOOSE CHASE. A tedious uncertain pursuit, like the following a flock of wild geese, who are remarkably shy.

WILLING t.i.t. A free horse, or a coming girl.