Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (also man of wax) a cobbler.

1794		Sporting Mag. Jan. III 201/1: Requesting you [...] as a brother lad of wax to make me some of your tight shoes.
1824		Morn. Chron. (London) 21 July 3/4: Lazarus and Reider, the Chelsea Snob, then took the gloves. Smouchee was all alive for action ; but the Snob was with him upon awl occasions, and pegged away to the last like a true ‘lad of wax’ .
1827		Pierce Egan’s Life in London 1 Aprr. 909/1: The snobs backing the Man of Wax as a last-er; and the Pattern-card heroes sporting their blunt upon the Buckram cove.
1829		Pierce Egan’s Wkly Courier 22 Mar. 4/1: The Man of Wax [...] had met with Mr Lushington; and [...] was rather more free with his chaffing-box than was welcome to a respectable company.

2. a boy; a weak or unimportant man.

1772		Bridges Burlesque Homer (3rd edn) 156: ’Tis known he was a lad of wax.
1789		Both Sides of the Gutter part II 11: Five balloon swarthies to de boy takes de heels from under de lad of wax on t’ther side of the Green.
1797		Bridges Burlesque Homer (4th edn) I 205: [as cit. 1772].

3. as affectionate term of address.

1821		W.T. Moncrieff Tom and Jerry III iii: A glass of good max, had they twigg’d it, / Wou’d have made them, like us, lads of wax.
1831		Navy at Home II 61: Now my lads of wax, who’s for a cruize?
1832		Satirist (London) 16 Dec. 405/2: [pun on the prizefighter-politician John Gully] For well have you confuted, / The Tory clique’s attacks / By choosing for your member / A thorough lad of whacks.
1843		R.S. Surtees Handley Cross (1854) 175: ’Ow are ye, my lad o’ wax?
1891		F.W. Carew Autobiog. of a Gipsey 38: ‘What for, old lad-o-vax?’ says Matt, as bold as brass.