Weather eye, the cautious eye. Any one who is supposed to have an extra good knowledge of things in general, or to be hard to impose on or cheat, is said to have his WEATHER EYE well open.
Weather-headed, so written by Sir Walter Scott in his Peveril of the Peak, but it is more probably WETHER-HEADED, as applied to a person having a “sheepish” look.
Weaving, a notorious card-sharping trick, done by keeping certain cards on the knee, or between the knee and the under side of the table, and using them when required by changing them for the cards held in the hand.
Weaving leather aprons. When a knowing blade is asked what he has been doing lately, and does not choose to tell, his reply is, that he has been very busy WEAVING LEATHER APRONS. (From the reports of a celebrated trial for gold robbery on the South-Western Railway.) Other similar replies are, “I have been making a trundle for a goose’s eye,” or a “whim-wham to bridle a goose.” Sometimes a man will describe himself as “a doll’s-eye WEAVER.”
Wedge, silver.—Old Cant.
Wedge-feeder, a silver spoon.
Weed, a cigar; the WEED, tobacco generally.
Weed, a hatband.
Weight-for-age, a sporting phrase which, applied to a race, distinguishes it from a handicap or catch-weight event, and informs all interested that the animals which run carry according to their ages, and not their abilities. Winners of certain great races generally carry penalties in addition to WEIGHT-FOR-AGE, for the purpose of equalizing matters somewhat; but as a rule the results are fairly foreshadowed as soon as in these races the horses are at the post, or as soon as the starters are positively known.
Wejee, a chimney-pot. Often applied to any clever invention, as, “That’s a regular WEJEE.”