Robin Camille Davis
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Adventures in the OED

September 26, 2009
Tags: words

wamfle (v.) To go about with flapping garments. Of garments, etc., to flap, flutter (in the wind). Her sails were wamflin' i' the wind. —Fife.

widdendream, widdrim (n.) obs. A state of mental disturbance or confusion; a wild fit. Chiefly in phr. in a widdendream or widdrim, usu. = in a ‘furious’ hurry, all of a sudden. At last we, like fierdy follows, flew to't flaught-bred, thinkin to raise it in a widden-dream. —Forbes.

wilco (int.) slang. Abbrev. of ‘will comply’, used to express acceptance of instructions, esp. those received by radio or telephone. ‘Please clear the runway quickly for the President's Starjet!’...‘Wilco,’ he said. —Beaty. [Is this common knowledge?]

wotcher (int.) Colloquial corruption of ‘what cheer?’, a familiar greeting. Howland waved violently to Victoria..and shouted, ‘Wotcher, Vicky!’ —Masters. [I have always wondered what the heck Tonks was saying!]

wurp (n.) obs. A (stone's) throw. Also figuratively in eie wurp, a glance of the eye. Iesus from heom iwende {th}e wrp of o ston. —O.E. Misc. [=>"Jesus went a stone's throw away from him."]