[f. STODGE v.]
1. A thick liquid mixture.
a. Thick, tenacious mud or soil.
1825. J. Jennings, Observ. Dial. W. Eng., Stodge, any very thick liquid mixture.
1881. Whitehead, Hops, 44. In wet weather the horses’ feet make a great stodge [in ploughing].
b. Food of a semi-solid consistency, esp. stiff farinaceous food.
1841. Hartshorne, Salop. Ant., Gloss., Stodge, a thick mess of oatmeal and milk, or any food which is semi-solid.
1874. Mrs. H. Wood, Master of Greylands, xxiii. The soup I make is not a tasteless stodge that you may almost cut with the spoon.
1891. Sara J. Duncan, Amer. Girl in Lond., xxiii. 247. Oh, we’d like to [eat] but we can’t…. We’re still in training you know…. Fellows have got to train pretty much on stodge.
2. a. ‘Stodging,’ gorging with food. b. A heavy, solid meal. Chiefly school slang.
1894. N. Gale, Cricket Songs, 32. O Bowler, Bowler, when the Swells all frown And say your non-success is due to Stodge.
1904. P. White, Tri. Mrs. St. George, viii. Here was a real live soldier … eating mutton, potatoes, and greens—the usual Thursday stodge!—along with a lot of kids!
3. ‘Stodgy’ notions.
1902. Elinor Glyn, Refl. Ambrosine, ix. 189. Avoid stodge … and … that sentimental, mawkish, dismal point of view that dramatically wrote up, over everything, ‘Duty,’ with a huge D.
