Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1871-1996
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HUDDERIE, adj. Also hudd(e)ry, huddrie; hutherie, -y (em.Sc.); hawthery, howderie (Lnk.), and reduplic. forms hudd(e)rie-dudd(e)rie, huthery-tuthery, hodderie dodderie, and with alternative ending huddroch (Wgt. 1957).
1. Slovenly, dirty, untidy, tawdry, in appearance or habits (w.Sc. 1802 J. Sibbald Chron. Sc. Poetry Gl.; Bwk., Rxb. a.1838 Jam. MSS. XII. 109, hutherie; Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl., hawthery, huthery; Ayr.4 1928; Kcb.2 c.1930; Fif., Bwk., Rnf., Lnk., Dmf. 1957). Comb. hodderie dodderie da, a slovenly slut (Clc. 1936). See Daw, n.2 and Hudderon.Gsw. 1879 A. G. Murdoch Rhymes 29:
Twa worthies frae the auld Gusedibs, . . . Forsook their huddrie-duddrie cribs.Fif. 1882 J. Simson Reminisc. 11:
A country lass of a huthery-tuthery make-up.Dmf. 1925 Trans. Dmf. & Gall. Antiq. Soc. 30:
A hudderie-dudderie lot about Glen-Scobin.Abd. 1928 N. Shepherd Quarry Wood iii.:
She liked the fuss and the pack in her two-roomed stone-floored cottage. The stress of numbers excused her huddery ways.wm.Sc. 1965 Alan Sharp A Green Tree in Gedde (1985) 29:
Mother Sommerville presided over six more like Robert, lodging them in the other room of a room and kitchen, feeding them on potatoes and porridge and sharing her favours among them at the week-end, a large huddery woman with mottled legs and a powerful arm.
2. Rough, shaggy, unkempt, dishevelled, gen. of hair (ne. and m.Sc. 1957). Comb. hudderie-heidit (ne.Sc. 1957).Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xv.:
When he took off his bonnet his head was seen to be “huddry”; that is, noticeably “huddry” for such a civilised place as the inside of a school.ne.Sc. 1884 D. Grant Lays 84:
Smooth yer huddery head a kennin'.Abd. 1955 Buchan Observer (18 Oct.):
Yon bricht huddry buss that wis eence yer hair Is grizzlet noo.Abd. 1993:
Hudderie heid. Abd. 1995 Sheena Blackhall Lament for the Raj 22:
His lugs cocked oot. His heid wis hudderie,
A hame-ower loon, wi shanks as thin's a straa. Abd. 1995 Flora Garry Collected Poems 26:
Yon bricht huddry buss that wis eence yer hair
Is grizzilt noo, ... Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 49:
Henry wis a bumshayvelt billie, wi hudderie hair an a dowp that didna haud up the girth o his trousers, fur he aye hunkit them up wi ae haun, ...
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"Hudderie adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/hudderie>
