▪ I. peddling, vbl. n.
(ˈpɛdlɪŋ)
[See peddle v. and -ing1.]
The action of the verb peddle.
1. The occupation of a pedlar; the carrying about of small goods for sale. peddling out, dealing out or retailing in petty quantities.
| 1591 Percivall Sp. Dict., Regatonia, pedling, buying of small wares. 1688 J. Clayton in Phil. Trans. XVII. 792 The best of Trade that can be driven is only a sort of Scotch Pedling. 1760 C. Johnston Chrysal (1822) II. 109 That lower species of trade called Pedling. 1862 Trollope Orley F. vi, I call it hawking and peddling, that going round the country with your goods on your back. It ain't trade. 1898 Kipling Fleet in Being ii. 22 A slow peddling-out of Admiralty allowance for the month. |
| attrib. 1641 Evelyn Diary 8 Oct., Little wagons..full of peddling merchandises, drawne by mastive-dogs. a 1697 Aubrey Nat. Hist. Surrey (1719) III. 227 Here are two Fairs, viz. on September 12th, and Whit-Tuesday; (a Pedling Fair). 1870 Morris Earthly Par. I. ii. 515 Neither on peddling voyage am I come. |
b. concr. Pedlars' wares; small goods. nonce-use.
| 1737 Jas. Murray Lett. (1901) 37 We..send our peddling to..the neighbouring colonies, for which we have European or other goods at their price. |
† c. peddling French = pedlar's French (pedlar 4 b). Obs.
| ? a 1550 Hye Way to Spyttel Hous 1054 in Hazl. E.P.P. IV. 69 Thus they babble,..I wote not what with theyr pedlyng frenche. |
2. The action of dealing with trifles, or in a paltry trifling way. (Cf. piddling vbl. n.)
| 1868 Farrar Seekers Concl. (1875) 332 The ‘moral peddling’, the pedagogic display..we have had to point out. 1899 Allbutt's Syst. Med. VIII. 120 What can be done quickly and thoroughly will probably be beneficial, and prolonged peddling the reverse. |
▪ II. ˈpeddling, ppl. a.
[See peddle v. + -ing2.]
1. Of persons: Plying the trade of a pedlar; going about with small goods for sale.
| 1532 More Confut. Tindale Wks. 639/2 Yet se we wel ynough how gredely the pedelyng knaues that here bring ouer theire bookes, grispe aboute an halfepeny. 1662 J. Davies tr. Olearius's Voy. Ambass. 24 There was a passage..from the Castle to the Church, along which came first several pedling Merchants, who sold wax Candles. 1728 Morgan Algiers Pref. 11 The peddling Traders; which the wealthy Dons deem Interlopers. 1834 James J. Marston Hall xii, I began conversing with him as a peddling Jew. |
2. a. Of persons: Busying oneself with trifles, or in a trifling way; occupied with petty details, or characterized by such occupation. b. Of things: Of small consequence; trifling, contemptible, petty, mean, paltry, trashy. (Cf. piddling ppl. a.)
| 1597–8 Bp. Hall Sat. ii. iii. 25 Since pedling barbarismes gan be in request. 1613 Purchas Pilgrimage (1614) 274 Threescore and eight sects of name, besides other pedling factions. 1693 Apol. Clergy Scot. 37 Our Pedling little Reformers. 1759 Franklin Ess. Wks. 1840 III. 500 The province was to receive it in so pedling a way, as rendered it in a manner useless. 1828 Craven Gloss. (ed. 2), Peddling, trifling, of little value. 1845 Carlyle Cromwell (1871) I. 1 Poor peddling Dilettantism. 1885 Clodd Myths & Dr. i. i. 9 We find place given to inane peddling details. |
Hence ˈpeddlingly adv., in a peddling way.
| 1892 Graphic 22 Oct. 478/3 A Minister who..is peddlingly unambitious. |