Also 6 bongyll, boungle, 7 bungell. [App. onomatopœic; cf. BUMBLE, BRANGLE, BOGGLE v.
(Prof. Skeat compares Sw. dial. bangla to work ineffectually (Rietz), and OSw. bunga to strike (Ihre).]
1. trans. To do or make in a clumsy or unskilful manner; formerly often with up, out. Now, usually, To spoil by unskilful workmanship. Cf. BOTCH v.1
1530. Palsgr., 627/2. A man may bongyll it up in a senyght.
1570. Levins, Manip., 189. To Bungle, infabre facere.
1579. G. Harvey, Letter-bk. (1884), 59. They were hudlid and … bunglid upp in more haste then good speede.
1649. Blithe, Eng. Improv. Impr. (1653), 52. He either wholly spoils it, or at least bungles out a half work.
1791. Scott, Lett., in Lockhart (1839), I. 247. Never was an affair more completely bungled.
1845. E. Holmes, Mozart, 260. The oratorio … some may expect to be patched or bungled.
2. intr. To work or act unskilfully or clumsily; to blunder.
1549. Olde, Erasm. Par. Ephes., Prol. Bunglyng at the thyng that is ferre aboue my capacitie.
1647. H. More, Song of Soul, Notes 139/2. Physis or Nature is sometimes puzzeld and bungells in ill disposed matter.
1791–1824. D’Israeli, Cur. Lit. (1859), II. 498. Shenstone … found that his engraver … had sadly bungled with the poet’s ideal.
1862. Maurice, Mor. & Met. Philos., IV. iv. § 29. 118. Very likely Luther bungled in his arguments.
