ALMONDBURT AND HUDDERSFIELD. 145 Warpin-woo^ a frame three yards and one foot long (ten feet) in which warps are prepared for weaving. This length in weaving is called ' a string.' Wartem, ». e, a quartern, a weight of woollen warp which is, when complete, twenty -four or twenty-five pounds. See duarrel, Swirrel, Ac. Warty, *. e, workday. * Warty clothes ' = workday clothes. Wash (pronounced waish), the same as Weeting, which see. Washer (pronounced tDesher), a small, round, flat iron ring placed on the axis of wheels, Ac. Wassail (pronounced toessel). Wassail-ciip, hy the corruption of the would-he refined, heoomes * veMeZ-cup ' I Wassail bob (pronounced vessel hoh)^ a garland or bouquet carried on New Tear's Eve from house to house, and adorned with fruit, ever- greens, artificial flowers, Ac. Formerly a doll gaily dreesed, represent- ing the Blessed Virgin, was placed in the midst. On Ihiesday, Deo. 29, 1874, a wtssel bob was brought here for exhi- bition. It consisted of two hoops covered and ornamented with coloured cut paper ; a little fir-tree in the middle, ornamented with an apple, an orange, a doll (like a man), and a wax cherry. The bearers sang the song, < Here we come a wesselling.' See Ohristmas. Wassail Hight (pronounced vessel netgkt ; gl. wes'l neeght), New Tear's Eve. On this occasion (and sometimes for a few nights pre- vious) they sing a ballad, and are thus E<aid to ' sing wessel,* or * go a wesseflingf At Holmfirth the ' weasel song ' is onlv sung on Epipbany after dark, and the chorus there differs from the one given under Christmas. It runs thus : ' For in Chersmas time People travel far and near ; So I wish you a merry Chersmas, And a happy new year.' Forty years ago the chorus at Almondbury ran thus :
- And it's jour wassail^
And ifs joUy waasaU ; Love and joy,' &o. Waster, anything not up to th^ mark. WatchfUy wakefuL Water (pronounced by some watter, and by others watther : a as in Aat ; gl, watT, wat'thur). .When Dr. Batly jjractised at Fenay, two country lads came from Meltham requiring his assistance. After he had examined them, the lads sitting in the surgery, he addressed his assistant, giving him verbal directions for compounding the medicine. So many grains, &o. of this, that, and the other, finishing with, ' Fill the bottle with aqua fontis.' The lads remarked that 'aqjua fontis' made up at least nine-tenths of the medicine, and one whispered to the other, * Dost ta' see P If we could get to know what t' stuff is we could cure folk as weel as him.' The doctor and his assistant both withdrew for a short time, when the lad ran to the bottle, tasted it, and exclaimed, ' Nowt but watther ! nowt but watther ! ' L
