154 Contributions towards a JFiltshire Glossar?/. 



pence, which is clue and payable at Lammas being Composition Money for 

 the Tytbe White of every Cow."— Wilcot Parish Terrier, 1704— As regards 

 the ordinary derivation, compare white-house, a dairy, tchite-meat, milk, 

 whites, m.\\\i. "Wheatly {On the Common Prayer, ed. 1848, p. 233-4) 

 quotes from a letter of one G. Langbaiu, 1650, as follows : — ' certe quod de 

 Lacte vaccarum refert, illud percognitum habeo in agro Hamtoniensi (an 

 €t alibi nescio) decimas Lacticiniorum venire vulgo sub hoc nomine. The 

 Whites of Kine ; apud Leicestrenses etiam Lacticinia vulgariter dicuntur 

 Whitemeat." — Smythe-P aimer. 



White-livered. Pale and unhealthy looking. N. & S.W. 



At Ciyffe Pypard the word has a yet stronger idea of disease about it. and 

 a " white-livered " woman is supposed to be almost as dangerous as was the 

 poison-nurtured Indian beauty who was sent as a present to Alexander the 

 Great. How the " whiteness " of the liver is to be detected is not very clear, 

 but probably it is by the pallour of the face. At any rate, if you discover 

 that a young woman is " white-livered," do not on any account marry her, 

 because the whiteness of the liver is of a poisonous nature, and you assuredly 

 will not live long with a white-livered young woman for your wife. It is 

 most unhealthy, and if she does not die, you will ! The word is so used of 

 both sexes. 



Whiver. (l) Add :— To flutter. 



Wlldern [i short). An apple-tree run wild in the hedges, as opposed to a true 

 crab-tree. N.W. (ClyfEe Pypard.) 



Wiltshire Weed, The. The Common Elm. See notice in Athenceum, 

 1873, of Jefferies' Goddard Memoir, also Wilts Arch. Mag. This is a 

 term frequently occurring in books and articles on Wilts, but it would not 

 be understood by the ordinary Wiltshire folk. 



Wish, Wisp. A sty in the eye. N.W. (ClyfEe Pypard, etc.) 



Wooset. See Houssett. 



Worsen, v. To grow worse. " You be worsened a deal since I seen 'ee laast, 

 I d' lot as you beant a gwain to live long." N. & S.W. 



" Life worsens here, and ere it reach the worst, 

 Unto the Jove that may be would I speak 

 To help my people." — W. Morris, Bellero]phon at Argos. 



Wosbird. Jrf<^:— Husbird. N.W. (Devizes, etc.) 



W^OUt. A carter's order to a horse to bear o£E. The opposite to Coom hether. 



Wrastle. Add :— " O.E. raxle, N. Eng. and Scot, rax, to stretch, extend, 



reach, and so to spread ; A.S. icraxlian, whence wrestle. — Smythe-P aimer. 



