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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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

‡PAFFLE, n. Also poffle (Lnk., Rxb. 1825 Jam.), pofle (Sc. 1820 Scott Letters (Cent. Ed.) VI. 150), pophle; pauffle (Dmb. 1785 Session Papers, Petition J. Colquhoun (21 June) 2); pauchle.

1. A small piece of land, a croft, an allotment (Per. 1808 Jam.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., poffle; Slk. 1965). Also used attrib. See quots. and cf. Pendicle. Deriv. paffler, pauchler, one who farms a paffle, a small tenant-farmer, a smallholder (Per. 1808 Jam.).Slg. 1737 J. G. Smith Strathblane (1886) 66:
The Lurg poffle and 2½ acres of the other third of Edenkill.Lnk. 1754 Session Papers, Reid v. Young (1 July) 9:
At that Time Andrew Watson possesst the Mill and Pophle belonging to it.Dmf. 1757 Session Papers, Knox v. Irving (13 Dec.) 2:
There was a small Poffle of Land consisting of two or three Acres, lying near the Village of Ecclefechan.Dmb. 1761 Caled. Mercury (10 Aug.):
The colliers paffles, presently set at 91. sterling yearly rent. . . . The Lands of Hutchison . . . with a paffle of land, . . . set at 21. 12s. 8d. sterling yearly.Per. 1795 Stat. Acc.¹ XIX. 328:
Some places are parcelled out into small paffles, or farms, few of which are above 30 acres each. . . . Some of the small farmers or pafflers are at times employed with their horses and carts at the roads, &c.Sc. 1818 Scott H. Midlothian Intro. 3:
Disclaiming all intention of purchasing that pendicle or pofle of land called Carlinescroft.Rxb. 1845 T. Aird Old Bachelor 9:
Those [villagers] who had enough to support themselves and their families on their “quarter”, “husband,” or “cot” lands, generally lived by farming their own small poffle — which, by the way, they did very ill.Fif. 1898 S. Tytler Mrs. Carmichael's Goddesses xv., viii.:
His family's “pauchle” . . . farm was the country place of which Viol dreamt. . . . He was a son of one of the smallest of small farmers (known in these regions as “pauchlers”) on the moors of Fife.Hdg. 1901 Longman's Mag. (Feb.) 380:
in Spot itself he purchased a poffle or pendicle of land that brought him some marks yearly.

2. Fig., an appendage, adjunct, dependency.Rnf. 1828 Paisley Mag. 478:
It may be described as being, in common with the Nether Ward of Clydesdale, little else than a sort of “poffle or pendicle” to the great manufacturing Capital of the west.