wink
To tip one the wink; to give a signal by winking the eye.
English · UK & Ireland 745
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Where will you be? Anywhere UK & IrelandUnited StatesOnline slangBusiness jargon
Expressions you’ll hear in Britain and Ireland — distinctly British usage first, then widespread staples.
winkin
"he went off like WINKIN," i.e., very quickly. From WINK, to shut the eye quickly.
winn
A penny—Ancient Cant. See introductory chapter.
winnings
Plunder, goods, or money acquired by theft.
winter's day
He is like a winter's day, short and dirty.
wipe
A blow, or reproach. I'll give you a wipe on the chops. That story gave him a fine wipe. Also a handkerchief.
wipe
A pocket-handkerchief.—Old Cant.
wipe-out
To kill or utterly destroy. This is an Americanism, but is in pretty general use here.
wiper
A handkerchief. CANT.
wiper drawer
A pickpocket, one who steals handkerchiefs. He drew a broad, narrow, cam, or specked wiper; he picked a pocket of a broad, narrow, cambrick, or coloured handkerchief.
wire-in
A London street phrase in general use, which means to go in with a will. In its original form of "WIRE-IN, and get your name up," it was very popular among London professional athletes. The phrase is now general, and any one who has a hard task before him, knows he must WIRE-IN to bring matters to a successful issue.
wire-pullers
Powerful political partisans, who do their work from "behind the scenes."
wise
As wise as Waltham's calf, that ran nine miles to suck a bull.
wise men of gotham
Gotham is a village in Nottinghamshire; its magistrates are said to have attempted to hedge in a cuckow; a bush, called the cuckow's bush, is still shewn in support of the tradition. A thousand other ridiculous stories are told of the men of Gotham.
wiseacre
A foolish conceited fellow.
wit
He has as much wit as three folks, two fools and a madman.
witches
Silver. Witcher bubber; a silver bowl. Witcher tilter; a silver-hilted sword. Witcher cully; a silversmith.
with and without
Words by themselves, supposed to denote the existence or non-existence of sugar in grog. Generally "warm WITH" and "cold WITHOUT."
witherspoon’s
(Dr., of America,) Essays on Americanisms, Perversions of Language in the United States, Cant phrases, &c., 8vo, in the 4th vol. of his works. Philadelphia, 1801.
wobble-shop
A shop where beer is sold without a licence.
wobbler
A foot soldier, a term of contempt used by cavalrymen.
wobbly
Rickety, unsteady, ill-fitting.
wolf in the breast
An extraordinary mode of imposition, sometimes practised in the country by strolling women, who have the knack of counterfeiting extreme pain, pretending to have a small animal called a wolf in their breasts, which is continually gnawing them.
wolf in the stomach
A monstrous or canine appetite.
woman and her husband
A married couple, where the woman is bigger than her husband.
woman of all work
Sometimes applied to a female servant, who refuses none of her master's commands.
wood
In a wood; bewildered, in a maze, in a peck of troubles, puzzled, or at a loss what course to take in any business. To look over the wood; to ascend the pulpit, to preach: I shall look over the wood at St. James's on Sunday next. To look through the wood; to stand in the pillory. Up to the arms in wood; in the pillory.
wood pecker
A bystander, who bets whilst another plays.
woodcock
A taylor with a long bill.
wooden habeas
A coffin. A man who dies in prison is said to go out with a wooden habeas. He went out with a wooden habeas; i.e. his coffin.
wooden ruff
The pillory. See NORWAY NECKCLOTH.
wooden spoon
a symbol of last place or poor performance
wooden wedge
The last name in the classical honours’ list at Cambridge. The last in mathematical honours had long been known as the WOODEN SPOON; but when the classical Tripos was instituted in 1824, it was debated among the undergraduates what sobriquet should be given to the last on the examination list. Curiously enough, the name that year which happened to be last was WEDGEWOOD (a distinguished Wrangler). Hence the title.
wool
Courage, pluck; "you are not half-WOOLED," term of reproach from one thief to another.
wool gathering
Your wits are gone a woolgathering; saying to an absent man, one in a reverie, or absorbed in thought.
wool-gathering
Said of any person’s wits when they are wandering, or in a reverie.
woolbird
A lamb; "wing of a WOOLBIRD," a shoulder of lamb.
woolley crown
A soft-headed fellow.
word grubbers
Verbal critics, and also persons who use hard words in common discourse.
word of mouth
Information or recommendation spread by people talking to each other
word pecker
A punster, one who plays upon words.
world
All the world and his wife; every body, a great company.
worm
To worm out; to obtain the knowledge of a secret by craft, also to undermine or supplant. He is gone to the diet of worms; he is dead and buried, or gone to Rothisbone.
worming
Removing the beard of an oyster or mussel.
wranglers
At CAMBRIDGE the first class (generally of twelve) at the annual examination for a degree. There are three classes of honours, wranglers, senior optimes, and junior optimes. Wranglers are said to be born with golden spoons in their mouths, the senior optimes with silver, and the junior with leaden ones. The last junior optime is called the wooden spoon.
wrap rascal
A red cloak, called also a roquelaire.
wrapt up in warm flannel
Drunk with spirituous liquors. He was wrapt up in the tail of his mother's smock; saying of any one remarkable for his success with the ladies. To be wrapt up in any one: to have a good opinion of him, or to be under his influence.
wrinkle
A wrinkle-bellied whore; one who has had a number of bastards: child-bearing leaves wrinkles in a woman's belly. To take the wrinkles out of any one's belly; to fill it out by a hearty meal. You have one wrinkle more in your a-se; i.e. you have one piece of knowledge more than you had, every fresh piece of knowledge being supposed by the vulgar naturalists to add a wrinkle to that part.
wrinkle
An idea, or a fancy; an additional piece of knowledge.
write
As "to WRITE one’s name on a joint," to leave the impression of one’s handiwork thereon, to have the first cut at anything; to leave visible traces of one’s presence anywhere.
wylo
Be off.—Anglo-Chinese.
wet behind the ears
Inexperienced.
when the cat's away, the mice will play
People misbehave or relax when the person in charge is absent.
when the chips are down
In very serious situation.
wikt:cut the mustard|
To perform well; to meet expectations.
wild goose chase
A frustrating or lengthy undertaking that accomplishes little.
with bells on
Enthusiastically.
with open arms
With great affection or enthusiasm.
within an ace of
Very close to.
w-shaped recession
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.