GIVE IT SOME WELLY

It’s a fine bit of British slang, often shouted to a person as encouragement or criticism, asking for more effort to be put into whatever they are doing. The saying dates from the 1970s.

'Welly' is a British abbreviation wellington boots, these being waterproof rubber boots named after the First Duke of Wellington. They were originally made from leather, but in 1853 Goodyear invented the vulcanization process which led to a patent being sold to use the process for boots.

Seeing as the majority of the population worked on the land in wooden clogs, Wellies were an instant success :~)

The slang sense seems to have come about by associating it with 'putting ones foot down' in motor racing (more accelerating) OR perhaps by a powerful kick in football.

There is also the sport of Wellie wanging, or wellie throwing which originated in Britain, most likely in the county of Yorkshire. Competitors are required to hurl a Wellington boot as far as possible within boundary lines, from a standing or running start. A variation requires participants to launch the wellie from the end of their foot as if they were kicking off a pair of shoes. These events are often associated with fundraising events.

Many other countries have their own equivalent of wellie wanging. The town of Taihape, New Zealand, styles itself the gumboot-throwing capital of the country, while an annual Boot-Throwing World Championship takes place in various European countries such as Germany, Finland and Poland.

They come in all the colours of the rainbow and are a bit of a fashion statement this year (2010)

There are kids wellies and racks to stand by your back door to park them on.

The comedian Billy Connolly, immortalised the welly in his  'Welly Song"