dudgen

English

Etymology

Unknown. Compare dudgeon.

Noun

dudgen

1. (obsolete) Something worthless; trash.
   • 1815 Sir Egerton Brydges, Archaica: Harvey's Four letters, and sonnets, touching Robert Greene; Pierce's supererogation; [and] New letter of notable contents. Brathwaite's Essays upon the five senses, From the private press of Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, printed by T. Davison, p142

     […] whose wild and madbrain humour nothing fitteth so just, as the stalest dudgen or absurdest balductum, that they or their mates can invent in odd and awk speeches […]

Adjective

dudgen (comparative more dudgen, superlative most dudgen)

1. (obsolete) Contemptible.
   • 1593, Gabriel Harvey, Pierces Supererogation: Or A New Prayse of the Old Asse, page 21:

     A melancholy boddy is not the kindest nurse for a chearely minde, (the joviall complexion is soverainly beholding to nature,) but I know not a finer transformation in Ovid then the Metamorphosis of dudgen earnest into sport; of harsh sower into sweet; of losse into gaine; or reproch into credit; of whatsoever badd occurrence into some good.

   • 1594, Thomas Nashe, The Terrors of the Night:

     Gentlemen (according to the laudable custome) I am to court you with a few premisses considered: but a number of you there bee, who consider neigher premisses nor conclusion, but piteouslie torment Title Pages on euerie poast: neuer readidng farther of anie Booke, than Imprinted by Simeon such a signe, and yet with your dudgen iudgement will desperatelie presume to run up to the hard hilts through the whole bulke of it.

   • 1599, Michael Drayton, Idea, page 107:

     Think' st thou, my Wit shall keepe the pack- Horse Way , That ev'ry Dudgen low Invention goes?

Anagrams

• dunged, nudged