Page:Farmer - Slang and its analogues past and present - Volume 7.pdf/323

 Wet-un, subs. phr. (slaughterers').—1. A diseased beast: cf. Staggering-Bob.

2. See Wet, adj.

We-uns, pr. (American).—We, us: i.e. we ones: cf. You-uns.

1885. Murfree, Prophet Great Smoky Mountains, ix. Grind some fur wee-uns ter-morrer.

W.F.'s, subs. phr. (old Tasmanian).—Wild cattle.

1891. Fenton, Bush Life in Tasmania Fifty Years Ago, 24. Round up a mob of the wildest w.f.'s that ever had their ears slit. [Note]: This was the brand on Mr. William Field's wild cattle.

Whack (or Wack), subs. (old).—1. A heavy, smart, sounding blow. As verb = to beat, thwack. Also a heavy fall, and as verb = to fall.

1837. Barham, Ingoldsby Leg., 'Lady Rohesia.' A blow descended, such as we must borrow a term from the Sister Island adequately to describe—it was a whack.

1851-61. Mayhew, Lond. Lab., ii. 564. Sometimes a chap will give me a lick with a stick just as I'm going over; sometimes a reg'lar good hard whack.

1888. Clouston, Book of Noodles, ii. A traveller, coming up, finds the missing man by whacking each of them over the shoulder.

1886. D. Teleg., 21 Feb. Yet the Flannigans and the Murphys paid no heed to him, but whacked away at each other with increasing vigour.

1887. Field, 24 Sep. Father whacks her and the children in turns.

2. (common).—A share; piece; spec. an equal portion (Grose): also whacking. As verb (or go whacks) = (1) to divide, to share; and (2) to settle, pay up: e.g. Whack the blunt = share the money; Give me my whack = Hand me my due. Also to whack up.

1840. Thackeray, Shabby Genteel Story, v. This gay young bachelor had taken his share (what he called 'his whack') of pleasure.

1851-61. Mayhew, Lond. Lab., ii. 152. They then, as they term it, whack the whole lot. Ibid., ii. 172. At last Long J and I got to quarrel about the whacking; there was cheatin' a-goin' on.

1877. Horsley, Jottings from Jail. So when we got there, there was some reelers there what knew me, and my pals said, 'You had better get away from us; if we touch you will take your whack just the same.'

1888. Greenwood, Little Ragamuffin. 'You agreed that we should go whacks in everything,' I pleaded, appealing to his sense of justice. Ibid., A Converted Burglar. The sound, old-fashioned principle of 'sharing the danger and whacking the swag.'

1890. Walch, Australian Song, 509. My word! he did more than his whack; He was never a cove as would shirk.

1891. Elect. Rev. (Century). The city has never whacked up with the gas company.

3. (colloquial).—An attempt, a trial, a stroke.

4. (provincial).—Appetite, twist (q.v.).

To whack it up, verb. phr. (venery).—To copulate: see Greens and Ride.

Whack! adj. (printers').—An emphatic expression of doubt; a polite way of giving the lie direct.

Whacker, subs. (common).—Anything very large, a big thing, a whopper (q.v.). Whence whacking = very large.

1861. Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxford, xxx. 'Look what whackers, Cousin Tom,' said Charley, holding out one of his prizes by its back towards Tom, while the indignant cray-fish flapped its tail.