bodge
Bodge (verb) means to do a clumsy or inelegant job, usually as a temporary repair; mend, patch up, repair.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English bocchen (“to mend, patch up, repair”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Middle Dutch botsen, butsen, boetsen (“to repair, patch”) (Dutch botsen (“to strike, beat, knock together”)), related to Old High German bōzan (“to beat”), See beat; or perhaps from Old English bōtettan (“to improve, repair”), Old English bōtian (“to get better”). Compare botch. More at boot. Perhaps from boggle. Perhaps from botch (“patch, or a measurement of capacity equivalent to half a peck”). There is a hypothesis that bodges, defined as rough sacks of corn, closely resembled packages of finished goods the bodgers carried when they left the forest or workshop. Another hypothesis (dating from 1879) is that bodger was a corruption of badger, as similarly to the behaviour of a badger, the bodger dwelt in the woods and seldom emerged until evenings. Other hypotheses include German Böttcher (“cooper (profession)”), a trade that uses similar tools), and similar Scandinavian words, such the Danish bødker. These words have similar origins to butt, as in water butt (“rain barrel”). Or possibly it may have been a derogatory term used by workers in furniture factories, referring to the
Rhymes for bodge
See all rhymes for bodge →Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of bodge?
"bodge" (verb) means to do a clumsy or inelegant job, usually as a temporary repair; mend, patch up, repair.
What are the different meanings of bodge?
"bodge" has 2 main meanings: 1. To do a clumsy or inelegant job, usually as a temporary repair; mend, patch up, repair; 2. To work green wood using traditional country methods; to perform the craft of a bodger.