fuddle

present singular third person fuddles · participle present fuddling · participle past fuddled · past fuddled

1. transitiveTo confuse or befuddle.

   She's fuddled my fancy, she's muddled me good / I've taken to drinking, and given up food

   1973, “A Rum Tale”, in Grand Hotel, performed by Procol Harum

2. transitiveTo intoxicate.

   If an author fuddles himself, I don’t know why he should be let off a headache the next morning […]

   1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 33, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, →OCLC

   1 more example

   There was a kind of festival going on, and the people fuddled themselves with caxirí, an intoxicating drink invented by the Indians. It is made by soaking mandioca cakes in water until fermentation takes place, and tastes like new beer.

   1863, Henry Walter Bates, chapter IV, in The Naturalist on the River Amazons, volume 1

3. intransitiveTo become intoxicated; to get drunk.

   Pipes I blew, on malt I fuddled, / A lushy man! / Till my mind and head got muddled, / Dissipated man!

   1860, John Diprose, The red, white & blue monster song book

plural fuddles

1. countableuncountableIntoxication.
2. uncountableIntoxicating drink; liquor.
3. countableuncountableMuddle, confusion.
4. DerbyshireUKcountabledialectaluncountableA party or picnic where attendees bring food and wine; a kind of potluck.

   Yesterday we were invited to a fuddle. This is a new word & was a new experience for us. Very pleasant it was too.

   2007 December 21, Dave Hatfield, “Fuddle?”, in eGullet Forums

   2 more examples

   When I was I work I loved the time when we had a fuddle. Everybody decided what they were going to bring so we had an even balance of grub. We had sandwiches or cobs of ham, cheese and pate, crisps, sausage rolls, pickled onions cocktail sausages, vol au vonts, swiss roll, and mince pies. We weren’t allowed booze on the premises but we made do with alcohol free drink. We were as stuffed as pigs and had a job to work for the rest of the day.

   2009, thornbird [username], “Do you have a Christmas fuddle at your workplace?”, in Toluna, archived from the original on 28 Sep 2021

   My husband has to take some food into his work for a Christmas fuddle.¶ I suggested he make Christmas pudding cupcakes, but he wasn't impressed.¶ What would you make and take?

   2012 December 12, llamapup [username], “What to make for a Christmas fuddle?”, in BabyCentre Community