had worked over Terry, and Sam knew that
this was no idle threat. 2. tv. to give some-
one’s body a thorough examination or
treatment. The doctors worked her over
to the tune of $1,500, but couldn’t find
anything wrong with her. TThe derma-
tologist worked over her entire body look-
ing for moles.world-beatern. an aggressive and ambi-
tious person. She’s not a world-beater,
but she’s efficient. They hired an alleged
world-beater to manage the office.
world-classmod. absolutely top rate.
Now this is a world-class computer. Lots
and lots of memory. I want to see one
of your world-class automobiles, whatever
that might mean. This one isn’t world-
class.
Theworld is one’s oyster.phr. one rules
the world; one is in charge of everything.
I feel like the world is my oyster, today.
The world is my oyster! I’m in love!
wormn. a repellent person, usually a male.
Gad, you are a worm, Tom. I’d like
Fred better if he wasn’t such a worm.
worm-foodn. a corpse. You wanna end
up worm-food? Just keep smarting off.
In the end, we’re all worm-food.
wormsn. noodles; spaghetti. Let’s have
worms tonight. Are the worms ready for
the sauce yet?
worms in bloodn. spaghetti in tomato
sauce. We’re having worms in blood for
dinner tonight. I’m getting tired of
worms in blood every Wednesday.
worry wartn. someone who worries all the
time. Don’t be such a worry wart. I’m
sorry I’m such a worry wart.
worship the porcelain god(dess)tv. to
empty one’s stomach; to vomit. (Colle-
giate.) Somebody was in the john wor-
shiping the porcelain god till all hours.
I think I have to go worship the porcelain
goddess. See ya.
worst-case scenarion. the worse possible
future outcome. Now, let’s look at the
worst-case scenario. In the worst-case
scenario, we’re all dead.
worth one’s saltmod. worth (in produc-
tivity) what it costs to keep one. We d e -
cided that you are worth your salt, and you
can stay on as office clerk. Yo u’r e n o t
worth your salt. Pack up!
would not be seen deadphr. would not
do something under any circumstances.
I wouldn’t be seen dead going out with
Ziggy! Martha would not be seen dead
going into a place like that.
wouldn’t touch someone or something
with a ten-foot poletv. would not get
involved with someone or something.
Forget it. I wouldn’t touch it with a ten-
foot pole. Tom said he wouldn’t touch
Tracy with a ten-foot pole.
Would you believe?interrog. Isn’t it amaz-
ing? He actually tried to get me to
scratch his bare back! Would you believe?
Would you believe? A three-cent per
hour raise?
wow 1. exclam. an indication of amaze-
ment or surprise. (Usually Wow!)
Wow! Is he ever ugly! A whole quarter!
Wow! Thanks, mister. 2. tv. to delight or
impress someone. She wowed them
with her cleverness. That ought to wow
them right out of their seats. 3. n. some-
thing exciting. The game was a real
wow. For a pretty good wow, try the
Empire Theater’s production of “Mame”
this weekend. 4. n. an exclamation point.
Put a wow at the end of this sentence.
Almost every sentence you write has a
wow at the end of it.
wozzle-waterGo to woofle-water.
wrap one’s car around somethingtv. to
drive one’s car into something at fairly
high speed. She wrapped her car
around a light pole. If he hadn’t
wrapped his car around a tree, he’d be here
to read his own poetry tonight.
wrapped up (in someone or something)
mod. concerned or obsessed with some-
one or something. Sally is pretty
wrapped up in herself. I’m too wrapped
up in my charity work to get a job.
wrapped up (with someone or some-
thing)mod. busy with someone or some-
thing. He’s wrapped up with a clientwrapped up (with someone or something)