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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

PUDDLE, n., v. Sc. usages:

I. n. 1. As in Eng.; in Sc. applied also to a street gutter (Abd.6 1913; ne.Sc. 1966). Comb. puddle-stink(er), an opprobrious nickname for (an inhabitant of) the town of Fraserburgh. A slummy street in the town was locally called “Puddle Stink”.Abd. 1960 Abd. Press & Jnl. (16 Dec.):
Peterhead's “blue mogganers” and Fraserburgh's “puddle stinkers.”

2. A state of disorder, a muddle, mess, confusion (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 135; Sc. 1880 Jam.). Now colloq. or dial. in Eng. Comb. puddle-headed, confused in one's thoughts, muddle-headed.Ayr. 1793 Burns Letters (Ferguson) No. 537:
Thy puddle-headed, rattle-headed, wrong-headed, round-headed slave.Sc. 1871 Letters J. W. Carlyle (Froude 1883) II. 157:
This drawing-room . . . without her would have been a puddle of wasteful failure.

3. An untidy or disorganized worker, a muddler, bungler (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 135; Sc. 1880 Jam.; Ags. 1966). Also in Eng. dial.Dmf. 1835 Carlyle Life in London (Foude 1884) I. 18:
A foot which a puddle of a maid scalded three weeks ago.

II. v. 1. To work in a muddling, inefficient way, to muddle along (Sc. 1880 Jam.), to mess about (ne.Sc., Ags., Gall., Uls. 1966); “to work in a laborious way on a low scale” (Sc. 1808 Jam.). Ppl.adj. puddlin, muddling, unmethodical, slatternly.Ags. 1855 A. Douglas Ferryden 45:
It's nae coothie puddlin' sae far frae land.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 135:
“She's a sad puddlin' bodie”. Often used with a tone of commiseration.

2. To have frequent small drinks (of liquor), to tipple.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 135:
He puddlet at porter a' day. He puddlet, an' drank in ilky hoose he geed intil.

3. To walk with short steps, to plod; “of the feet: to work up and down” (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.). Hence puddlies, n.pl., bare feet, esp. of children (Ork. 1929 Marw., Ork. 1966).Ags. 1812 R. Wighton Beggar's Son 19:
Twa three weans, in twa three summers, Puddlin' oer the gow'ny green.Bwk. 1823 A. Hewit Poems 92:
Nane coud puddl'd like himsel' [horse] I' cart or pleugh.Rxb. 1870 Mod. Sc. Poets (Edwards) X. 270:
How still the puddlin' feetie lie.

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