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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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HOGGER, n. Also hoger (Sc. 1808 Jam., Per., Cld. 1880 Jam.), hoggar (Arg. 1936 L. McInnes Dial. S. Kintyre 14); hugger, huggar; hooger (Lnk. 1865 J. Hamilton Poems 183); howgar (Ags. 1853 W. Blair Aberbrothock xvii.); ¶hoggart (Ayr. 1836 Tait's Mag. (July) 459) and, by confusion with Moggan, ¶hoggan. [′hogər, ′hʌg-]

1. A coarse stocking without a foot, worn as a gaiter (Gall. 1902 E.D.D.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; em.Sc.(a), wm.Sc., Rxb. 1957), sometimes worn on the arms, e.g. by reapers as a protection against thistles, etc. (Rxb. a.1838 Jam. MSS. XII. 107; Uls.³ 1931).Sc. 1711 J. Kirkwood Hist. 27 Gods Lnl. 36:
A Boy . . . with a Blanket and a Pair of Hoggers on his Legs.Abd. 1768 A. Ross Works (S.T.S.) 145:
A pair of gray hoggers well clinked benew.Sc. 1807 J. Hall Travels I. 608:
During the time I staid in Edinburgh, I only observed one person, a big boy from the country, wearing mire-pipes, or stockings without feet, called in some parts of Scotland, huggers.Ayr. c.1827 Galt Howdie (1923) 6:
He had his wife's shawl tied over his hat by a great knot under the chin, and a pair of huggars drawn over his shoes and above his knee.Lnl. 1868 A. Dawson Rambling Recoll. 31:
Arrayed with great rigg and fur huggars, stretching from heel to thigh.

Hence deriv., comb. and phr.: (1) hoggart, huggered, -t, ppl.adj., of a stocking: footless; of a person: wearing hoggers; (2) hugger-muggan, a hogger (Fif. 1958); (3) to hae somebody by the huggers, to have someone in custody, to have a tight hold on someone.(1) Rnf. 1790 A. Wilson Poems 214:
While Herdies sing wi' huggert taes, An' wanton lams are prancin'.Sc. 1823 Blackwood's Mag. (Oct.) 427:
Some huggered, red-armed, horny-fisted, glaur-nailed Girrzy.Sc. 1854 D. Vedder Poems 10:
Her tawny face was furrowed ower Like a beggar's hoggart hose.(3) Ayr. a.1878 H. Ainslie Pilgrimage (1892) 189:
I'se hae ye by the huggars tight, 'Less ye can mak' it plain to me Hoo ye cam' by this gauderie.

2. An old sock-foot worn as a slipper or over a shoe on icy roads to prevent slipping (Ags. 1957); specif. a kind of slipper like a stocking-foot, knitted from flax rove, worn by factory workers at their work (Ags. c.1900–1957). Also in comb. hogger-fit (Rnf. 1958).Ags. 1824 Montrose Characters (1880) 59:
No leathern shoon upon his feet had he, But worsted huggers.Ags. 1878 J. S. Neish Reminisc. 68:
Instead of shoes, worsted huggers covered his feet.

3. An old stocking-leg used as a receptacle or purse, any kind of pouch used to keep money in, e.g. a fishwife's pocket (Ags. 1920); hence, savings, a hoard (Ayr. 1836 Galt in Tait's Mag. (July) 459; Arg.¹ 1930, hoggan; Ags., wm.Sc. 1957).Gsw. c.1725 Stat. Acc.² VI. 231:
He . . . threw down upon the table a large hogger stuffed to the top with coin.Lnk. a.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 56:
I have a bit auld hogger an' some thing in't, thou's get it when I die.Ayr. 1823 Galt Entail xxxix.:
I hae may be a hoggar, and I ken whan I die wha sall get the gouden guts o't.Per. 1835 J. Monteath Dunblane Trad. 76:
Your hugger and my hugger coupit intil ane, wad be sure to keep us confartable as lang's we leeve.Dmb. 1846 W. Cross Disruption vii.:
A' she has in the hugger may be his ain, if he'll just tak' her alang wi't.Abd. 1891 G. W. Anderson Strathbogie 85:
My man has a hugger o' siller, My hoose is fell cosie and braw.Arg.¹ 1931:
He's weel eneuch aff an' hez a good hoggar by 'um.

Hence deriv. huggerfu, a stocking-leg full, a hoard (Ayr. 1957).Sc. 1829 R. Chambers Sc. Songs I. 147:
I've a huggerfu' o' saut.Ayr. 1890 J. Service Notandums 74:
A wee callan is swappin' a soocker for a huggerfu' o' bools.

4. A short length of pipe used as a connection; “a leather or canvas delivery pipe at the top of a sinking set of pumps” (Sc. 1886 J. Barrowman Mining Terms 37). Also found in n.Eng. dials.