Chapter W to Waldemar's Way of W by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

W to Waldemar's Way

Wabun Son of Mudjekeewis (North-American Indian), East-Wind, the Indian Apollo. Young and beautiful, he chases Darkness with his arrows over hill and valley, wakes the villager, calls the Thunder, and brings the Morning. He married Wabun-Annung (q.v.), and transplanted her to heaven, where she became the Morning Star. (Longfellow: Hiawatha.)

Wabung Annung in North American Indian mythology, is the Morning Star. She was a country maiden wooed and won by Wabun, the Indian Apollo, who transplanted her to the skies. (Longfellow: Hiawatha.)

Wade (1 syl.), to go through watery places, is the Anglo-Saxon wad (a ford), wadan (to ford or go [through a meadow]). (See Weyd-Monat. )
   General Wade, famous for his military highways in the Highlands, which proceed in a straight line up and down hill like a Roman road, and were made with a crown, instead of being lowest in the middle.

“Had you seen but these roads before they were made.
You would hold up your hands and bless General Wade.”

Wade's Boat named Guingelot. Wade was a hero of mediaeval romance, whose adventures were a favourite theme in the sixteenth century. Mons. F. Michel has brought together all he could find about this story, but nevertheless, the tale is very imperfectly known.

“They can so mochë craft of Wadës hoot,
So mochë broken harm whan that hem list,
That with hem schuld I never ly v in rest.”
Chaucer: Canterbury Tales, 9,298.

Wadham College (Oxford) was founded by Nicholas Wadham in 1613.

Wadman (Widow). A comely widow who tries to secure Uncle Toby for her second husband. Amongst other wiles she pretends that she has something in her eye, and gets Uncle Toby to look for it; as the kind-hearted hero of Namur does so, the widow gradually places her face nearer and nearer the captain's mouth, under the hope that he will kiss her and propose. (Sterne: Tristram Shandy.)

Wag Beards (To). “'Tis merry in hall when beards wag all”- i.e. when feasting goes on.

“Then was the minstrel's harp with rapture heard;
The song of ancient days gave huge delight;
With pleasure too did wag the minstrel's beard,
For Plenty courted him to drink and bite.”
Peter Pindar: Elegy to Scotland.

Wages Giles Moore, in 1659, paid his mowers sixteenpence an acre. In 1711 Timothy Burrell, Esq., paid twentypence an acre; in 1686 he paid Mary his cook fifty shillings a year; in 1715 he had raised the sum to fifty-five shillings. (Sussex Archaeological Collections, iii. pp. 163, 170.)
    For wages in the reign of Henry VIII., see preface of vol. i. Letters and Papers of the Reign of Henry VIII., edited by J. S. Brewer, pp. 108-119.

Wages of Sin (The). To earn the wages of sin. To be hanged, or condemned to death.

“I believe some of you will be hanged unless you change a good deal. It's cold blood and bad blood that runs in your veins, and you'll come to earn the wages of sin.”- Boldrewood: Robbery under Arms, ii.

“The wages of sin is death.”- Rom. vi. 23.

Wagoner (See Bootes. )

Wahabites (3 syl.). A Mahometan sect, whose object is to bring back the doctrines and observances of Islam to the literal precepts of the Koran; so called from the founder, Ibn-abd-ul-Wahab

Waifs and Strays “Waifs” are stolen goods, which have been waived or abandoned by the thief. “Strays” are domestic animals which have wandered from their owners and are lost temporarily or permanently.
   Waifs and strays of London streets. The homeless poor.

Waistcoat The M. B. waistcoat. The clerical waistcoat. (See M.B.)