Higgle

Source : Wright, Joseph English Dialect Dictionary web : https://eddonline4-proj.uibk.ac.at/edd/main.html

HIGGLE, v. In gen. dial. use in Sc. Irel. and Eng. Also written higle w.Yks.4 Der. e.Lin. War. Suf.1 Som.; and in forms heggle se.Wor.1; hegle War. Som.; heigle w.Som.1 [h)i·gl.] 1. To linger long over a bargain; to beat down prices; to chaffer. N.Cy.1 Cum.1; Cum.4 Thuh'll just pay meh noo adoot enny mair higglin, Sargisson Joe Scoap (1881) 109. n.Yks.2 w.Yks. Thoresby Lett. (1703); w.Yks.4 n.Lin.1 I'd rather traade wi' ony body then N─; he higgles soä, one can't get dun wi' him. Shr.1, Brks.1, e.An.1 Ess. Gl. (1851). Som. There was no higgling when Christopher bought Sophia's litter of eleven little pigs, Raymond Sam and Sabina (1894) 38. Hence (1) Higgler, sb. one who beats down a price; (2) Higgling, ppl. adj. chaffering, bargaining. (1) n.Yks.2 (2) Ayr. Claud... was thriving as well as the prigging wives and higgling girls... would permit, Galt Entail (1823) iii. 2. To argue; to demur, raise objections. Slk. Laith wad I hae been to hae higgled wi' her, Hogg Tales (1838) 187, ed. 1866. Cum.1 w.Yks. We higgled an' figgled till booath on us sware, Pudsey Olm. (1883) Nov. Notes. Brks.1 3. To go about with small wares for sale; to hire out a horse or cart, or one's personal services. w.Yks. Yks. Wkly. Post (Apr. 10, 1897); w.Yks.5, Chs.1, s.Chs.1 Lin. He higgles, and has a herse, and ploughs for people (R.E.C.). n.Lin.1 s.Lin. He higgles for his livin' (T.H.R.). Hence Higgler, sb. an itinerant dealer; gen. one who owns a horse and cart; a man who carts materials for another. Slk. A higgler for nits an' nest-eggs, Hogg Tales (1838) 160, ed. 1866. Ir. Took to carrying the remnant of his stock-in-trade about in a basket as a higgler, Barlow Lisconnel (1895) 53. Yks. He kept a public-house, had a small farm, and went out sometimes as a ‘higgler,’ i.e. a vendor of woollen cloth from house to house, Henderson Flk-Lore (1879) v. n.Yks.2 w.Yks. Dealers in ready-made clothing who go with their wares in search of customers (B.K.); w.Yks.3 w.Yks.5 Lan. Women who travel the country with mugs and other articles, which they exchange for eggs in Cum., &c.; there are two or more higglers who follow this practice, Marshall Review (1808) I. 270. Chs.1 Midl. Higgler and cottager the villagers called him, Bartram People of Clopton (1897) 9. Der. The occupation of a ‘higler’... is a very old one, and before... the railways were made a great deal of coal was carried into Derby by this mode, and the men employed were called ‘coal higlers,’ N. & Q. (1894) 8th S. v. 178. nw.Der.1, n.Lin.1, e.Lin. (G.G.W.), s.Lin. (T.H.R.) Rut.1 A coal-higgler. Her son's a higgler, and oughtn't to let her come on the parish. m.Wor. (J.C.) Bdf. These ashes are carried by higglers on asses in sacks, Marshall Review (1814) IV. 593. Suf. A rag and bone man (C.L.F.); Suf.1, Sur.1 Sus. Another waggoner looks in,.. next a higgler passing by, Jefferies Hdgrow. (1889) 79; Sus.1 4. To buy and fatten up for market; to practise the trade of a poultry-dealer. e.An.1 Higgling up a pig. e.Suf. (F.H.) Sus. Buying up chickens and fattening them for the market (F.E.S.). w.Som.1 What is your father doing now? ─ Well, mum, he do do a little to pork-butchin, and in the winter he [uy·glus] heigles; but he don't heig'y so ter'ble much. Hence Higgler, sb. an itinerant middleman who buys up farm produce, and sells it at market. N.Cy.1, s.Chs.1, War. (J.R.W.), War.2, m.Wor. (J.C.), se.Wor.1, Shr.1 Shr.2, e.Suf. (F.H.), Ken. (D.W.L.), Ken.1, Sur.1 Som. W. & J. Gl. (1873). w.Som.1 A dealer in poultry only. Very com. ‘Ter'ble rough lot, some o' they uy·glurz out about Langley Marsh.’ Dev.3 Cor. Thomas Randigal Rhymes (1895) Gl. 5. To work at anything slowly and laboriously; to effect by slow degrees. ne.Lan.1 e.Lin. The old horse could only higle a bit (G.G.W.). Nrf. To work at anything carelessly and indifferently (G.B.R.B.). 6. To overwork; to fatigue. Cum.1 Cum.4 7. To cut meat badly; to play with one's food. n.Lin.1 If yĕ higgle yer meät e' that how you shan't hev noän. 8. To heap up earth round growing potatoes. n.Lin.1 9. To play a game of chance. w.Yks.5 ‘Ah'll higgle thuh fur a meg,’ says a youth, shaking two or three coppers within the hollow of his clasped hands.