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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

HUDDERIE, adj. Also hudd(e)ry, huddrie; hutherie, -y (em.Sc.); hawthery, howderie (Lnk.), and reduplic. forms hudd(e)rie-dudd(e)rie, huthery-tuthery, hodderie dodderie, and with alternative ending huddroch (Wgt. 1957).

1. Slovenly, dirty, untidy, tawdry, in appearance or habits (w.Sc. 1802 J. Sibbald Chron. Sc. Poetry Gl.; Bwk., Rxb. a.1838 Jam. MSS. XII. 109, hutherie; Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl., hawthery, huthery; Ayr.⁴ 1928; Kcb.² c.1930; Fif., Bwk., Rnf., Lnk., Dmf. 1957). Comb. hodderie dodderie da, a slovenly slut (Clc. 1936). See Daw, n.² and Hudderon.Gsw. 1879 A. G. Murdoch Rhymes 29:
Twa worthies frae the auld Gusedibs, . . . Forsook their huddrie-duddrie cribs.Fif. 1882 J. Simson Reminisc. 11:
A country lass of a huthery-tuthery make-up.Dmf. 1925 Trans. Dmf. & Gall. Antiq. Soc. 30:
A hudderie-dudderie lot about Glen-Scobin.Abd. 1928 N. Shepherd Quarry Wood iii.:
She liked the fuss and the pack in her two-roomed stone-floored cottage. The stress of numbers excused her huddery ways.wm.Sc. 1965 Alan Sharp A Green Tree in Gedde (1985) 29:
Mother Sommerville presided over six more like Robert, lodging them in the other room of a room and kitchen, feeding them on potatoes and porridge and sharing her favours among them at the week-end, a large huddery woman with mottled legs and a powerful arm.

2. Rough, shaggy, unkempt, dishevelled, gen. of hair (ne. and m.Sc. 1957). Comb. hudderie-heidit (ne.Sc. 1957).Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xv.:
When he took off his bonnet his head was seen to be “huddry”; that is, noticeably “huddry” for such a civilised place as the inside of a school.ne.Sc. 1884 D. Grant Lays 84:
Smooth yer huddery head a kennin'.Abd. 1955 Buchan Observer (18 Oct.):
Yon bricht huddry buss that wis eence yer hair Is grizzlet noo.Abd. 1993:
Hudderie heid. Abd. 1995 Sheena Blackhall Lament for the Raj 22:
His lugs cocked oot. His heid wis hudderie,
A hame-ower loon, wi shanks as thin's a straa. Abd. 1995 Flora Garry Collected Poems 26:
Yon bricht huddry buss that wis eence yer hair
Is grizzilt noo, ... Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 49:
Henry wis a bumshayvelt billie, wi hudderie hair an a dowp that didna haud up the girth o his trousers, fur he aye hunkit them up wi ae haun, ...