white flag
An all-white flag is universally used as the signal of surrender or of desiring to parley. A messenger bearing a white flag is by international decency immune from harm.
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White Friars
The Carmelites (?.v.), so called because of the white mantle they wear over a brown habit. One of their houses, founded in London on the south side of Fleet Street m 1241, gives the name to that district, and was for many centuries a sanctuary.
white girl
A Caucasian female.
white harvest
A late harvest, when the ground is white of a morning, with hoar frost.
white hat
A computer security expert who helps organizations protect themselves
white horses
The foam on the crests of waves, seen before or after a storm.
White House
The presidential mansion in Washington, D.C. It is a building of freestone, painted white. The cornerstone was laid by Washington, and the house was remodelled in 1902. Figuratively, it means the Presidency of the U.S.A.
white in the gills
Showing unmistakable signs of fear or terror — sometimes of sickness.
white lady
Methylated spirit.
White Lady
A sort of ghostly spirit in many countries, the appearance of which generally forebodes death in the house. It is a relic of Teutonic mythology, representing Holda, or Berchta, the goddess who received the souls of maidens and young children.
white lie
A small, harmless falsehood told to avoid hurting someone's feelings.
white magic
Magical power used for good or beneficial purposes
white magic
Sorcery in which the devil was not invoked and played no part; opposed to black magic (tf.v.).
White Man's Burden
The duty supposed to be thrust on the white races, especially the British, to educate and govern the untutored coloured races for their own welfare.
White Man's Grave
The unhealthy areas of equatorial West Africa, especially Sierra Leone.
white marriage
A marriage of convenience without romantic involvement
White Mountains
The Arabs call a white horse "moon-coloured." To aim or level at the moon.
white on rice
to watch or follow something very closely
White Paper
A publication issued by the British government giving information on matters of interest, reports of committees, etc, and on sale to the public. Since 1919 Government papers have been marked "Cmd.", command.
white pee
urine that is pale or clear in color
white prop
A diamond pin.—East London.
white rabbit
A person or thing that is elusive or fugitive
white rent
Rent payable in silver money. An annual duty of eightpence payable by every tin-miner in Devon and Cornwall to the Duke of Cornwall as lord of the soil.
white rider
a person who rescues a situation
White Rose League
A society adhering in theory to the claims of the House of Stuart to the throne of Great Britain. It is of a purely sentimental and historical nature, harbouring no disloyalty to the Crown.
white satin
a euphemism for a coffin
white serjeant
A man fetched from the tavern or ale-house by his wife, is said to be arrested by the white serjeant.
white sheep
a member of a family or group who is considered unusual or unconventional
White Slave
A woman who is sold or forced into prostitution. The problem of White Slave Traffic, especially to South America, ^was taken up vigorously by the League of Nations, and in some measure the evil was mitigated through its exertions.
White St
Jerome was lecturing one day, a lion entered the schoolroom, and lifted up one of its paws. All the disciples fled; but Jerome, seeing that the paw was wounded, drew out of it a thorn and dressed the wound. The lion, out of gratitude, showed a wish to stay with its benefactor. Hence the saint is represented as accompanied by a lion.
white stuff
The drug cocaine.
white sugar
cocaine.
White Surrey
The favourite horse of Richard III. Saddle White Surrey for the field to-morrow.
white swelling
A woman big with child is said to have a white swelling.
white tape
Gin.
white tincture
The alchemist's name for a preparation that should convert any base metal into silver.
white trash
Poor and uneducated white people, often considered unsophisticated
white trashery
Behavior or attitude characterized by lack of refinement or decency
white wine
Gin.
white wine
Any wine of a light colour, not red; as champagne, hock, sauterne, moselle, etc.
white-girl wasted
Very drunk.
white-livered
Cowardly, malicious.
white-livered
Or LIVER-FACED, cowardly, much afraid, very mean.
Whitebait Dinner
A dinner of Cabinet Ministers and prominent politicians that, until the early 1890s, was held at Blackwall or Greenwich toward the close of the parlia- mentary session. The time of meeting was Trinity Monday, or as near Trinity Monday as circumstances would allow.
whiteboy
Heroin.
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.
whitechapel
Or WESTMINSTER BROUGHAM, a costermonger’s donkey-barrow.
whitechapel fortune
A clean gown and a pair of pattens.
whitewash
To rehabilitate. A person who took the benefit of the Insolvent Act was said to have been WHITEWASHED. Now said of a person who compromises with his creditors.
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.
whitman's sampler
A selection of assorted items
whitsun farthings
See QUADRAGESIMALS. White denotes purity, simplicity, and candour; innocence, truth, and hope. See COLOURS, SYMBOLISM OF.
whittington's college
Newgate; built or repaired by the famous lord mayor of that name.
whittle
To nose or peach.—Old Cant. To cut and hack as with a pocket-knife.—American.
whiz
To urinate.
who
whose
who are you telling
Who is your audience or listener?
Who can tell but St
Martin's running footman may still be hatching us some further mischief. — RABELAIS: Pantagruel, iv, 23.
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