spadger
nounEtymology Originally British dialect (1850s), from spadge (fronted variant of northern dialect spag) + -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.
1
Colloquial, Dialectal A sparrow.
- Genuine cockney ‘spadgers’ have appeared at Bulli. The little hoppers are spreading rapidly all over the colony.1884 September 24, The Newcastle Morning Herald, Newcastle, NSW, page 3, column 7:
- The broadcasting blokes are twittering away like spadgers over there.1961, Margery Allingham, Three cases for Mr. Campion, page 82:
1 more example
- '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.'1977, Roald Dahl, The Swan:
2
Colloquial A boy.
- He laughs and says, “My, you sure talk brash, for such a little spadger.”1970, Donald Harington, Lightning Bug: