Wab

(rhymes with “nab”) A noun, primarily denoting a length of unoccupied sock hanging off the front of one’s foot. Wab usually occurs when the sock is overly loose, or when strenuous sockfooted activity has been going on. I might observe “my, what a lot of wab you have.” Such an observation is often succeeded by failing to resist the temptation to pull on the wab.

An adjectival version is wabby, meaning “characterized by having wab.” Clearly the meaning of “wab” can be applied to other apparel arrangements; if I have my arm pulled up into my sleeve with the empty end dangling loosely, you could say I have a wabby sleeve.

This word has been used in my family since the early 1980s.