(Ireland, Dublin, dated) A cobbler.
Early 1900s, Traditional, ''Waxies' Dargle'' (song)
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
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(UK, obsolete, slang) A male cobbler .
(UK, Ireland, slang, humorous) A foolish or obnoxious person.
A now-obsolete piece of British slang from the cobbling trade — a lad of wax was a male shoemaker or cobbler, referencing the waxed thread cobblers used to stitch leather. The phrase has a whimsical, almost affectionate quality to it, suggesting someone skilled with their hands in a humble craft. It belongs to the rich tradition of old British occupational slang, where workers nicknamed each other by the tools or materials of their trade. You won't hear it in modern shoe shops, but it's a fun relic of working-class London street language.
(Australia, slang) A surfer .