subs. (old).—Misfortune, calamity, mischief, a curse. Thus WITH (or IN) A WANION = (1) ‘Mischief take you,’ ‘Blast you’; with a vengeance; and hence (2) summarily, emphatically: also WANIONS ON YOU! [Cf. M. E. WANIAND (with quots.) = the waning of the moon, and spec. regarded as presaging ill-luck.]
[1362. York Plays, XVI. 124.
| Be they kyngis or knyghtis, in care ȝe þaim cast; | |
| Ȝaa, and welde þam in woo to wonne, IN ÞE WANYAND.] |
[c. 1401. Towneley Mysteries, 241 [T. L. KINGTON-OLIPHANT, The New English, i. 202. There is the strange phrase IN THE WENYANDE; in the unlucky time when the moon wanes; hence the curse, ‘with a wanion.’]
1549. LATIMER, Sermons, 36b. Was not this a good prelate? He should have beene at home preaching in his dioces WITH A WANNION.
1570. FOXE, Acts and Monuments, II. 457. 1. The pope … sent into France Hildebrand, his cardinal chaplain, (as meet a mate for such a feat, as was in all Satan’s court), and made him WITH A WANYAND to come again ‘coram nobis.’
1605. JONSON, Eastward Ho, iii. 2. Marry, hang you, westward, WITH A WANION to you. Ibid. (1625), The Staple of News, iii. 5. Act fables of false news, in this manner, to the super-vexation of town and country, WITH A WANNION!
1609. SHAKESPEARE, Pericles, ii. 1. 17. Come away, or I’ll fetch thee WITH A WANNION.
1611. BEAUMONT and FLETCHER, The Knight of the Burning Pestle, ii. 2. I’ll tell Ralph a tale in’s ear, shall fetch him again WITH A WANNION, I’ll warrant him.
1663. DRYDEN, The Wild Gallant, iii. I’ll teach you to take place of Tradesmen’s Wives WITH A WANNION to you.
1694. MOTTEUX, Rabelais, IV. xlvii. Ho, clod-pate, where art thou? Come out with a vengeance, come out WITH A WANNION.
1820. SCOTT, The Abbot, vii. I sent him out of my company WITH A WANION. Ibid. (1822), The Fortunes of Nigel, xxvii. Bide doun, with a mischief to ye—bide doun, WITH A WANION.
