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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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‡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.