Is it whaling on or wailing on?
wail on (someone or something) 1. To attack or thrash something in an brutal, forceful, or relentless manner. (A common misspelling of “whale on someone or something.”) The knights are wailing on the gate with a battering ram! Hold your positions!
What is a whale drum?
The Whale Drum is a modern example of one of the world’s oldest known instrument families: the tongue or slit drum. These progenitors of the “idiophone” family were originally developed in Africa thousands of years ago. The stick and brush articulations were played over various edges and surfaces around the drum.
What does whaling on someone mean?
To strike or hit someone or something repeatedly and forcefully; thrash someone or something: The street gangs whaled on each other until someone called the police. 2. To criticize someone vehemently: Our boss whaled on all of us for missing the deadline. See also: on, whale.
What is the definition for whaling?
Definition of whaling : the occupation of catching and extracting commercial products from whales.
Does whaling mean crying?
to utter a prolonged, inarticulate, mournful cry, usually high-pitched or clear-sounding, as in grief or suffering: to wail with pain. to make mournful sounds, as music or the wind. to lament or mourn bitterly. a wailing cry, as of grief, pain, or despair. any similar mournful sound: the wail of an old tune.
Does wail mean hit?
Instead—much to the chagrin of grammarians—they turn to the homophones wail or wale as the more plausible spelling of the verb meaning “to hit.” It doesn’t help that in most dialects the words are pronounced identically, making them auditorily indistinguishable. The verb wail is also older than the verb whale.
Why is there an H in whale?
The “wh” in English used to be pronounced as “hw”. So “whale” used to be pronounced “hwale”. It comes from Anglo-Saxon. Some people still do pronounce them as “hwale” (whale), “hwite” (white) but I think they are now archaic.
Why do they call it whaling?
The term “Whale” is borrowed from the casino industry, where it is used to describe a rich gambler who bets extraordinarily large amounts of money. Just like in the game industry, casinos want to “catch” the most high-betting whales, because they provide a lot of income for comparably little expense.
What is to wail loudly?
To wail is to let loose a long loud cry. If you’re feeling truly miserable, take a deep breath and wail as loudly as possible. When it comes to expressing unhappiness, wailing lies at the extreme end of the spectrum. So, it’s best to save this response for life’s most unpleasant moments — unless you’re a jazz musician.
What does whale away mean?
Attack physically or verbally, as in Our boys whaled away at the enemy, or The talk-show host whaled away at the hostile critics. The word whale here does not allude to the ocean mammal, but means “flog” or “thrash.” [
What is the silent letter of whale?
out” a word – the letters are pronounced in the order they’re written. It’s not spelled hwale, it’s spelled whale. The “wh” spelling convention was developed at a time when this really was a separate sound, a voiceless “w”.
How did the whaling industry change over time?
Whaling was a multi-million dollar industry, and some scientists estimate that more whales were hunted in the early 1900s than in the previous four centuries combined. Eventually, kerosene, petroleum, and other fossil fuels became much more popular and reliable than whale oil.
How did the whaling ships kill the whales?
Using exploding harpoon cannons mounted on the bows of vessels, whales are pursued and shot with explosives designed to burst when they penetrate into the flesh of the whale. However, not all whales die instantaneously, requiring a second shot from the cannon, or sometimes a round of rifle fire.
How can I help the campaign against whaling?
Expose the suffering – by supporting WDC, you can help expose and bring an end to the brutal dolphin hunts. Campaign against whaling –wherever governments make decisions about the future of whaling you’ll help us be there to fight for whales.
Where was whaling first practiced in the world?
It was practiced as an organized industry as early as 875 AD. By the 16th century, it had risen to be the principal industry in the coastal regions of Spain and France. The industry spread throughout the world, and became increasingly profitable in terms of trade and resources.