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spadger. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
spadger, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
spadger in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
spadger you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Etymology
Originally British dialect (1850s), from spadge (fronted variant of northern dialect spag[1]) + -er. The northern dialect term spag is a derhoticised form of Scots spurg (“sparrow”), from spur (from Old Norse spǫrr (“sparrow”), suffixless cognate of Old English spearwa) + diminutive suffix -ock, with loss of vowel and voicing of -k to -g after r.[2]
Noun
spadger (plural spadgers)
- (dialectal or colloquial) A sparrow.
1884 September 24, The Newcastle Morning Herald, Newcastle, NSW, page 3, column 7:Genuine cockney ‘spadgers’ have appeared at Bulli. The little hoppers are spreading rapidly all over the colony.
1961, Margery Allingham, Three cases for Mr. Campion, page 82:The broadcasting blokes are twittering away like spadgers over there.
1977, Roald Dahl, The Swan:'If you think spadgers is easy,' the father said, 'go get yourself a jenny wren. Jenny wrens is 'alf the size of spadgers and they never sit still for one second. Get yourself a jenny wren before you start shootin' yer mouth off about 'ow clever you is.'
- (colloquial) A boy.
1970, Donald Harington, Lightning Bug:He laughs and says, “My, you sure talk brash, for such a little spadger.”
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