▪ I. striddle, n.
(ˈstrɪd(ə)l)
[f. the verb.]
A stride.
| 1721 Ramsay Elegy Patie Birnie xi, How pleasant was 't to see thee diddle And dance sae finely..With nose forgainst a lass's middle,..With cutty steps to ding their striddle, And gar them fag. 1835 D. Webster Sc. Rhymes 42 (E.D.D.) Losh! he lamps at the rate o' four yards at a striddle. |
▪ II. striddle, v. Obs. exc. dial.
(ˈstrɪd(ə)l)
[Back-formation from striddling adv.]
1. intr. To stand with the legs wide apart; to straddle.
| 1530 Palsgr. 732/2, I stande a strydling with my legges abrode, je me esquarquille. 1570 Levins Manip. 128/12 To striddil, varicari. a 1585 Montgomerie Flyting 19 Strydand and stridland like Robin red-brest. c 1640 Gramercie Good Scot in Maidment Scot. Ballads (1868) I. 340 Where are our proud Prelates that stridled so wide. 1825 Brockett N.C. Gloss., Striddle, to straddle. |
2. To stride.
| 1785 Burns 2nd Epist. J. Lapraik ix, Sin' I could striddle owre a rig. 1821 Scott Pirate iv, It's nae pleugh of the flesh that the bonny lad-bairn..sall e'er striddle between the stilts o'—it's the pleugh of the spirit. |
3. Comb. striddle-legs adv., astride.
| 1825 Brockett N.C. Gloss., Striddle-legs, astride. 1900 ‘R. Guthrie’ Kitty Fagan 84 One man..sat ‘striddle-legs’ on the chimney, to the huge delight of the juveniles. |
Hence ˈstriddling ppl. a.
| 1638–9 Caveat for Scot. in Maidment Scot. Pasquils (1868) 65 With Gallaway Tam: that squint-eyed stridling asse. |