whittling

Whittle \Whit"tle\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Whittled}; p. pr. & vb.
   n. {Whittling}.]
   [1913 Webster]
   1. To pare or cut off the surface of with a small knife; to
      cut or shape, as a piece of wood held in the hand, with a
      clasp knife or pocketknife.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To edge; to sharpen; to render eager or excited; esp., to
      excite with liquor; to inebriate. [Obs.]
      [1913 Webster]

            "In vino veritas." When men are well whittled, their
            tongues run at random.                --Withals.
      [1913 Webster]
    

41 Moby Thesaurus words for "whittling":
      CYSP sculpture, anaglyptics, anaglyptography,
      architectural sculpture, bone-carving, casting, ceroplastics,
      chasing, clay sculpture, decorative sculpture, earth art,
      embossing, engraving, founding, garden sculpture, gem-cutting,
      glass sculpture, glyptic, ivory-carving, lost-wax process,
      metal sculpture, modeling, molding, monumental sculpture,
      paper sculpture, plaster casting, plastic art, portrait sculpture,
      relief, relief-carving, relievo, sculptor, sculpture, sculpturing,
      shell-carving, statuary, stone sculpture, stonecutting,
      wire sculpture, wood carving, xyloglyphy