On 09/15/2014 2:18 PM, Ryan O. wrote:
replying to Tim Wescott , Ryan O. wrote:
tim wrote:

The sons of the family mechanic talked about "wallering a hole", in
the sense of "to wear and enlarge in an uncontrolled manner" ("the
bolt was loose and wallered out the hole, now it don't fit"), or (with
contempt for shade-tree mechanics) "to intentionally enlarge a hole in
an uncontrolled manner" ("that deleted just wallered out those holes
instead of using a drill bit of the proper size, now nuthin' fits
right"). Has anyone else seen this? I'm curious if it was a family
invention or if it's a word of real usage. -- Tim Wescott Wescott
Design Services http://www.wescottdesign.com


I have heard the term "wallered out" quite a bit. I am an ASE certified
mechanic of 11 years and I have a degree in Automotive Technology (so not
shade tree lol). I refrain from using it because I do not want to sound
like a redneck. I think it might be more of a dialect-related slang than
an actual word. Here in Missouri, people know what it means. I used it
recently: "Your door latch mechanism has become wallered out. This is
causing too much free play in the latch when the door is closed..."

It is also known in the High Plains region, anyway; I'd guess most all
of the farm country would be reasonably common but that's only from
having been familiar to me since childhood on a farm in SW KS.
Certainly then was also known in E TN while were there.

I have always presumed it's a *******ization/colloquialism derived from
_wallow_

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wallow

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