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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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

HODGE, v., n. Also hog(e), hoadge and freq. form hodgil (Gregor). [hɔdʒ, hodʒ]

I. v. 1. To move or walk awkwardly or jerkily, to hobble along (Abd. 1825 Jam.; Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 79; Ork. 1929 Marw., hoadge; I. and ne.Sc. 1957). Also of sexual intercourse (Ork.⁵ 1957). Cf. Hoddle, n., 2.Abd. 1739 Caled. Mag. (1788) 502:
Sae he took gate to hodge to Tibb, And spy at hame some sawt.Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 105:
He loots like ane that clods is mellan An' hoges like a bothy dellan'.

2. To fidget, to hitch about, twitch, usually with impatience or discomfort (ne.Sc. 1957). Ppl.adj. hodgin, restive.Bch. 1804 W. Tarras Poems 72:
Auld daddy hodgin yont the bink, Fu' blythe to see the sport.ne.Sc. 1836 J. Grant Tales 60:
The thing comes bangin' frae the straitest pairt o' the bank, and lichts o' the road just un'er Charlie's nose, whaur it hodg't for a wee, and syne lay still.Bch. 1932 J. White Moss Road xvii.:
Mrs Christie had been hodging impatiently on her seat.

3. To bump up and down, esp. in the saddle, to bounce.Abd. p.1768 A. Ross Fortunate Shep. MS. III. 111:
That wi' their ride had been sae sadly cadged That they nae mair cud suffer to be hodged.Abd. 1801 W. Beattie Parings 33:
He nimbly mounted on his beast; And home, a smart jog-trot came hodging.

4. To shake, quiver, hitch the shoulders, esp. with laughter (Abd. 1825 Jam.; Abd., Kcd. 1957). Also found in n.Eng. dial.Edb. 1828 D. M. Moir Mansie Wauch (1839) xiv.:
And the body hodged and leuch as if he had found a fiddle.Bwk. 1863 A. Steel Poems 211:
There hogin' and laughin' wi' muckle pretence.Dmf. 1867 S. Smiles Telford 117:
At this, it is said, “Tam hodged and leuch”; and Tibby, observing how easily he took it, at length grew more calm.

5. tr. Freq. with up: to hitch up, to tug or to push in a series of jerks, to heave (Mry.¹ 1925; Sh. 1957).Abd. 1767 W. Meston Poet. Wks. 125:
He hodged up his breeches.Abd. 1824 G. Smith Douglas 59:
He'll tak' the taunt, an tamely sneak awa, Hodge up a fidge, or gie his head a claw.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 79:
Hodge that stane doon the brae . . . He hodgilt the muckle stane up the brae.

6. With aboot: to carry around a heavy awkward burden for long periods, to lug about (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 79; Sh. 1957).

II. n. 1. A rough shove, sharp push or jolt, a hitch up (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 79; Sh., Bnff., Abd. 1957).Abd. 1795 A. Shirrefs Sale Catalogue 10:
Nineteen hodges fairly given, To help a sinner on to heaven.Mry. 1889 T. L. Mason Rafford 18:
The provocation they ga'e, if ane ga'e them a wrang hodge would try the patience o' twenty Jobs.Ags. 1893 Arbroath Guide (15 April) 3:
I ga'e her a guid hodge a bit farer up my back.Abd.⁴ 1928:
Ye may cairry an aul wife o' your back aa day, bit gin ye gie her a vrang hodge at even ye're waur nor gin ye haedna taen her on.

2. A heaving of the body (with laughter) (Ags. 1957).Sc. 1844 Lord Cockburn Circuit Journeys (1888) 236:
They first lifted up large agrestic eyes and stared, . . . and at last confounded the orator by hodges of loud laughter.

3. A big awkwardly-built person, gen. applied to a female (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 79; Sh. 1957). Also found in Eng. dials.