verb (North Country cant).—1. ‘To move off, go away’ (HOTTEN).
2. (colloquial).—To rate, scold, ‘carpet’: spec. ‘to call over the coals’ publicly. Whence WIGGING = a public rebuke or reprimand: EAR-WIGGING = a more or less private calling over the coals.
1837. R. H. BARHAM, The Ingoldsby Legends, II. 386, ‘Hermann; or, The Broken Spear.’ If you wish to ’scape ‘WIGGING,’ a dumb wife’s the dandy.
1888. Echo, 26 March. So alarmed at the prospect of being WIGGED from home.
1897. MARSHALL, Pomes, 84. They both had a WIGGING at Marylebone For attempting to kiss a policeman.
1902. Pall Mall Gazette, 26 July, 2. 2. ‘Discipline must be maintained,’ and now that the lads know that they are not to suffer for a crime they never committed they will not mind the C.-in-C.’s WIGGING.
