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 c. 1614. Fletcher, Wit Without Money, iv. 4. D'ye think you're here, sir, Among your wast-coateers, your base wenches, That scratch at such occasions? you're deluded. Ibid. (1619), Hum. Lieut., i. 1. Who keeps the outward door there? here's fine shuffling. You wastcoateer, you must go back.

1659. Massinger, City Madam, iii. 1. I knew you a waistcoateer in the garden alleys, And would come to a sailor's whistle.

1712. Herrick, Poor Robin. Some shall be so incentive to lust, that every woman shall be devil enough to tempt him, from the Covent Garden silk gowns, to the Wapping wastcoatiers.

Waister, subs. (obsolete nautical).—A seaman or boy of little use, a green (q.v.) hand: if inexperienced or broken-down, such as these were placed in the waist of a man-of-war for duties not requiring much exertion or seamanship. Also (modern) = a new whaling hand.

Wait. To wait for dead men's shoes, verb. phr. (common).—To look forward to an inheritance.

d. 1660. Fletcher, Poems, 256. And 'tis a general shrift, that most men use, But yet 'tis tedious waiting dead men's shoes.

1758. Murphy, Upholsterer, i. I grant ye, ma'am, you have very good pretensions; but then it's waiting for dead men's shoes.

1764. Wilkes [Fitzgerald's Life (1888), i. 244]. As they have no other relation but Miss Wilkes, I therefore suppose they will leave everything to her, independent of me. Yet this is, after all, waiting for dead men's shoes.

1878. Wall, Molière, ii. 218. Death is not always ready to indulge the heir's wishes and prayers, and we may starve while waiting for dead men's shoes.

1902. Pall Mall Gaz., 26 July, 2. 3. Waiting for dead men's shoes is a tedious business, especially when the shoes in question are a pair of Turkish slippers.

To wait on one, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To seek a chance of retaliation, revenge, or spite; to try and get one's own back.

Waiter. Minority-waiter, subs. phr. (old).—A waiter out of employment: i.e. as one out of (political) office.

1778. Sheridan, Rivals, ii. 1. I told Thomas that your Honour had already inlisted five disbanded chairmen, seven minority waiters, and thirteen billiard markers.

Wake. To wake snakes, verb. phr. (American).—1. To rouse oneself, to be up and doing; and (2) to get into trouble.

1848. Lowell, Biglow Papers. This goin' where glory awaits ye hain't one agreeable featur'; And, if it warn't for wakin' snakes, I'd be home agin short metre.

1850. Southern Sketches, 119. Well, here I be: wake snakes, the day's a-breaking.

1855. Haliburton, Human Nature, 164. Come, wake snakes, and push off with the captain, and get the fish on board.

1863. Punch, Aug. 'Mexico and Monroe-Land.' So then, as Mexico's gone goose And wakin' snakes, it ain't no use; Agin old Bull let's vengeance vow, And take no action else just now.

To wake up the wrong passenger, verb. phr. (American).—To make a mistake, 'get the wrong sow by the ear': see Wrong passenger.

Waler, subs. (colonial).—Orig. a cavalry horse imported into India from New South Wales; now applied to all 'cattle' brought from Australia.

1863. Heywood, Vacation Tour at the Antipodes, 134. Horses are exported largely from Australia to India even. I have heard men from Bengal talk of the walers, meaning horses from New South Wales.