Etymology
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slubberdegullion (n.)

"a slobbering or dirty fellow, a worthless sloven," 1610s, from slubber "to daub, smear; behave carelessly or negligently" (1520s), probably from Dutch or Low German (compare slobber (v.)). Second element appears to be an attempt to imitate French; or perhaps it is French, related to Old French goalon "a sloven." Century Dictionary speculates the -de- means "insignificant" or else is from hobbledehoy, and for the final element suggests cullion "a base fellow" (for which see cull (n.2)). For the formation, also compare gobbledygook.

Entries linking to slubberdegullion

slobber (v.)

late 14c., sloberen, "dribble from the mouth," probably of imitative origin; compare Frisian slobberje "to slurp," Middle Low German slubberen "slurp," Middle Dutch overslubberen "wade through a ditch." Related: Slobbered; slobbering. As noun from c. 1400 as "mud, slime," 1755 as "saliva." Congreve has slabber (v.), from Middle Dutch slabberen.

hobbledehoy (n.)

"clumsy or awkward youth," 1530s, of uncertain origin and the subject of much discussion. Suspicion has focused on French or Anglo-French, but no appropriate word has been found there. First element is probably hob in its sense of "clown, prankster" (see hobgoblin), the second element perhaps is French de haye "worthless, untamed, wild," literally "of the hedge."

updated on January 14, 2023

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Dictionary entries near slubberdegullion

slowdown

slowly

slowness

slowpoke

slow-worm

slubberdegullion

sludge

sluff

slug

slug-a-bed

slugfest

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