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riddlen.1 Origin: A word inherited from Germanic. Etymology: Cognate with or formed similarly to Middle Dutch raetsel , rātsele , rādeles (Dutch raadsel , †raetsel ), Old Saxon rādisli (neuter), rādislo (masculine; Middle Low German rādelse , rēdelse , rātsel , rētsel , (rare) rēdesal ), Old High German (probably showing Old Saxon influence) rādisla , rādilsa (early modern German ratsal , retsel , retzel , etc., German Rätsel ) < the Germanic base of read v. + the Germanic base of -els suffix. The β. and γ. forms either show suffix substitution (see -el suffix1) or represent an inferred singular with loss of -s by confusion with the plural ending -s ; compare metels n., rechels n.In Old English the word had a much wider range of senses than in Middle English and later use, e.g. ‘counsel, consideration; debate; conjecture, interpretation; imagination; example’ (compare various senses of read v., rede v.1). In Old English usually a strong masculine (rǣdels ); however, a weak feminine (rǣdelse ) is also attested. There is one isolated attestation of a weak feminine β. form (rǣdelle : see quot. OE at sense 1β. ), unless the form (accusative singular rædellan) is to be interpreted as a scribal error (for rædelsan). Forms with stem vowel i show shortening of Middle English long close ē (the reflex of Old English (non-West Saxon) ē), either by trisyllabic shortening or (in syncopated forms) by shortening before the consonant cluster dl; compare E. J. Dobson Eng. Pronunc. 1500–1700 (ed. 2, 1968) II. §77 note 1. the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > secrecy, concealment > a profound secret, mystery > puzzle, enigma, riddle > [noun] society > leisure > entertainment > toy or plaything > puzzle > [noun] > other word puzzles α. OE (Claud.) xii. 8 Ic sprece to him..openlice, næs ðurh rædelsas [L. aenigmata] ne ðurh hiw. OE tr. (1958) iii. 4 Swa hwilc man swa minne rædels riht aræde, onfo se mynre dohtor to wife. c1200 ( Latin-Old Eng. Gloss. (Bodl. 730) in (1981) 62 205/2 Problema, redles. a1325 (Arun.) (1857) 161 (MED) Red that redeles, red qwat it may beo. a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden (St. John's Cambr.) (1871) III. 181 Þe kyng putte forþ a rydels [L. Paradigma] erliche amorwe and axede..‘Whiche..is þe strengest of þe þre, kyng, wyn, or womman?’ a1400 (a1325) (Trin. Cambr.) 7120 At þe feest þere he was stad A redeles vnto him he bad. a1425 (Stonyhurst) f. 24 Enigma, a redeles. a1500 (c1378) W. Langland (Oriel) B. xiii. 184 Rideles [Laud Ar ȝe coueitouse nouthe After ȝeresȝyues or ȝiftes or ȝernen to rede redeles]. 1879 G. F. Jackson Ridless, a riddle, a conundrum. 1950 R. C. Rhodes & P. F. Hinton MS Coll. Birmingham Words in C. Chinn & S. Thorne (2001) 140 Riddliss [a conundrum or puzzle]. the mind > mental capacity > belief > uncertainty, doubt, hesitation > perplexity, bewilderment > [noun] OE Ælfric Homily: Sermo ad Populum (Corpus Cambr. 188) in J. C. Pope (1967) I. 445 Nu we menn geseoð swilce þurh sceawere, and on rædelse [L. in enigmate]. 1571 A. Golding tr. J. Calvin (xlix. 4) Riddle thou in riddle. 1589 G. Puttenham iii. xviii. 157 We dissemble againe vnder couert and darke speaches, when we speake by way of riddle. 1685 A. Behn 311 He read the Letter again, and wonders at nothing now after her last nights Action, tho all was riddle to him. 1727 J. Swift Postscript It has been the Policy of all times, to deliver down Important Subjects by Emblem and Riddle. 1860 R. W. Emerson ix. 297 All is riddle, and the key to a riddle is another riddle. 1904 May 672/1 How..Sam, ugly as he was, ever came to have so pretty a little daughter as is Kittie Baskett..is big riddle enough! 1961 R. J. Hollingdale tr. F. Nietzsche 161 It is all my art and aim, to..bring together what is fragment and riddle and dreadful chance. 1994 (Nexis) 31 Oct. 28 The room that would represent fairy-tales would lie between romance and fable, jokes and riddle. 3. the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > secrecy, concealment > a profound secret, mystery > [noun] c1400 (c1378) W. Langland (Laud 581) (1869) B. xiii. l. 167 Þere nys neyther..Pope, ne patriarch þat puyre reson ne schal make Þe meyster of alle þo men þoruȝ miȝt of þis redeles. a1425 J. Wyclif (1871) II. 320 Mo redelis þan we can telle ben soþ of Crist bi his two kindis. a1522 G. Douglas tr. Virgil (1959) viii. Prol. 157 Thys romans ar bot rydlys [Ruddim. ridlis]. 1548 N. Udall et al. tr. Erasmus I. Matt. xi. 67 Shadowes and darke riddels of the olde lawe. 1650 J. Bulwer 253 Yet how and when this tincture began, it was yet a riddle unto him. 1684 J. Bunyan Authors Way sig. A6 Those Riddles that lie couch't within thy breast, Freely propound, expound. View more context for this quotation 1707 G. Farquhar iv. 48 Where there's a Priest and a Woman, there's always a Mystery and a Riddle. 1785 T. Reid iii. iii. 344 Such paradoxes and riddles..men are involuntarily led into when they reason about time and space. 1832 E. Bulwer-Lytton II. iii. xv. 179 It seems to me a riddle, how we could ever have been thus connected. 1879 N. Smyth (1882) iii. 52 Judaism is said to have been a dark riddle which tormented Hegel all his life. a1921 A. Teixeira de Mattos tr. J. H. Fabre (1991) xil. 313 The centuries-old mystery of the cold light produced by the Firefly and the Glow-Worm is still partially a riddle. 2002 S. J. Gould ix. 785 No special paleontological riddles arise from the Scheinproblem of temporal continua. 1613 G. Chapman sig. C2 Capr. Tis passing miraculous, that your dul and blind worship should so sodainly turne both sightfull, and witfull. Plvt. The Riddle of that myracle, I may chance dissolue to you in sequell. 1649 (1662) xxii. 111 I must now resolve the riddle of their Loyalty. 1659 R. Boyle 155 There, I hope, we shall have clearly expounded to us those Ridles of Providence, which [etc.]. 1706 J. Addison iii. iii O quickly relate This riddle of fate! 1816 S. T. Coleridge 31 The minds that feel the riddle of the world. 1859 J. G. Holland xii. 146 The riddle of life is unsolved. 1870 F. M. Müller (1873) 392 I do not say that..we have solved the whole riddle of mythology. 1941 Jan. 184/1 In this paradox of feral and human lies the riddle of her existence. 1978 12 Jan. 5/2 The 23-year-old riddle of what happened to the controversial painting,..was answered by the executors. 2007 9 Dec. 52/2 A group of scientists..have solved the riddle of the appendix. The organ, they claim, is in reality a ‘safe house’ for healthful bacteria. the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > secrecy, concealment > a profound secret, mystery > [noun] > person 1663 S. Butler i. iii. 189 'Twas a strange Riddle of a Lady. 1711 J. Swift (1768) IV. 3 I am still a riddle they know not what to make of. 1733 A. Pope ii. 18 Sole Judge of Truth, in endless Error hurl'd: The Glory, Jest, and Riddle, of the World! 1779 S. J. Pratt I. xxvi. 90 He is as much a riddle to me as ever. 1823 M. W. Shelley Valperga in Mar. 287/1 She was a strange riddle to him. 1878 R. Browning 46 No more Man as riddle to be read. 1908 G. M. Reynolds vii. 86 She is a riddle. 1950 T. Bankhead v. 136 He was a riddle I couldn't solve, which made him all the more attractive, all the more desirable. 2000 Jan. 106/3 But during the first trip, in 1987, he was a riddle, this grinning, glad-handing photographer. Phrases1561 T. Norton tr. J. Calvin iv. xvii. f. 128 It is not likely, that when Christ prepared for his Apostles a singular comfort in adversities, he did then speake in a riddle or darkly. 1630 P. Massinger iv. iii. sig. K You speake in riddles. What burthen, or what mistrisse? or what fetters? Are those you poynt at? 1715 J. Ozell tr. J. Racine i. i. 11 Come, let's ha' done talking in Riddles. 1751 E. Haywood I. xi. 119 That I may not seem to speak in riddles, you may remember, that the first time I had the pleasure of entertaining you at my rooms, a gentleman called Trueworth, was with us. 1822 Ld. Byron Heaven & Earth i. iii, in 1 187 I ne'er thought till now To hear an Adamite speak riddles to me. 1877 R. Kaufman tr. F. W. Hackländer 234 ‘Suppose this happiness of mine were only a reflection of what is in store for you?’ ‘You speak in riddles, and make me uncomfortable.’ 1936 14 Mar. 57/2 When he finally slowed, and his assistants came alongside, they found him talking in riddles, apparently. 2006 (Nexis) 26 Aug. 22 They often spoke in riddles, only referring to ‘it’ and ‘developments’ and agreeing to meet face-to-face. Compounds C1. a. General attributive and appositive. 1904 4 133 Lay the bent to the bonny broom (Riddle Ballad). 1998 J. Williams iii. 148 This slight operetta..includes several other songs..another Danish ballad of a water-demon, an English riddle ballad. ?1760 (title) A new riddle book, or a whetstone for dull wits. 1858 W. T. Matson 459 Love..sagely musing o'er Fate's riddle-book. 2003 G. C. Warner x. 127 She opened the large envelope and slipped out two plan books, numbers eight and ten, along with the riddle book. 1854 1 34 The Welsh relics are treated as..punning, for which he thinks he discovers even a class name..‘Colbrein,’ literally riddle-craft. 1929 44 483 The section on riddlecraft does not notice the learned work of Jan de Vries. 1898 L. J. Beck xi. 105 Another form of gambling among the Chinese is that known as the riddle game. 1954 J. R. R. Tolkien 21 Gollum challenged Bilbo to the Riddle-game. 2006 R. Soltan i. 4 An approach that is..more fun might be to use a riddle game. 1849 J. O. Halliwell 141 Nursery riddle-rhymes are extremely numerous. 1931 44 116 The following riddle rhyme, counting out rhyme, and play song I heard as a child. 2006 S. M. Vardell 65 Brian Swann offers riddle rhymes from African traditions. 1858 F. J. Child VIII. 5 Examples of the riddle-song pure and simple will be found under Captain Wedderburn's Courtship. 1965 M. Spark ii. 32 She heard the familiar lilt of the riddle song, ‘One Kid’, from the lips of her lolling cousins. 2007 R. A. Leaver i. 17 The text begins as a parody of the secular riddle song. b. Objective. (a) 1604 T. Bilson 606 You haue learned belike of Parmenides the riddle-maker, that all is one. 1741 Feb. 104/2 Occasion'd by Mr. R. R. the Riddle-Maker's Verses. 1865 21 Jan. 32/2 Why is Admiral Fitzroy like a careful riddle-maker? 1993 G. C. Wood II. lxxiii. 566 He was a problem solver, not a riddle maker. 1751 Earl of Orrery 78 The thought is closer pursued than in any other riddle writer whatever. 1849 J. O. Halliwell 148 The pen has been a fertile subject for the modern riddle-writer. 1996 25 188 These ideas permeated the thinking of the riddle-writer. (b) 1850 F. E. Smedley iv That riddle-loving female, the Sphinx. 2000 C. V. Camp vi. 278 The riddle-loving narratives about Samson and Solomon can be construed in part as expressions of a wisdom-ish whim to play with the Strange Woman. 1918 W. de la Mare 44 Old and alone, sit we, caged, riddle-rid men. C2. 1865 J. S. Adams 193/1 Riddle canon, a canon written without any indication of the number of parts..designed as an amusement. 1889 at Canon1 Enigmatical canon,..riddle canon, in old music, a canon in which one part was written out in full and the number of parts was given; the remaining parts were to be written out by the student in accordance with the requirements of an enigmatical inscription written upon the music. 1992 S. P. Snook-Luther tr. J. F. Daube 167 If it is to be a riddle canon, no entrance is marked. Derivatives 1571 A. Golding tr. J. Calvin (v. 1) Forasmuch as I like not theis riddelike tytles. a1616 W. Shakespeare (1623) i. iii. 213 She..that..riddle like, liues sweetely where she dies. View more context for this quotation 1836 W. O'Bryan xxx. 366 On the same publication was the following curious, riddle-like notice. 1891 J. Winsor App. 633 The strange and riddle-like narrative. 1922 M. L. Margolis iv. 62 It is the ‘mashal’, at once proverb, parable, fable, and ballad, figurative speech and dark saying, riddle-like and enigmatic. 2004 N. Mosley 7 This certainty..is somehow cheering; in spit of (or perhaps because of) the riddle-like form in which it is put. the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > secrecy, concealment > a profound secret, mystery > puzzle, enigma, riddle > [adverb] 1563 W. Baldwin et al. (new ed.) ii. 142 b I name no man outryght, But ryddle wise, I meane them as I myght. 1594 R. Wilson sig. F1v The bastards name he tolde me too, But it was riddle-wise. 1836 J. J. Bell tr. J. W. von Goethe in 56 A knotty riddle, riddle-wise to solve! 1922 E. R. Eddison 122 It appeareth (yet not clearly, but riddle-wise). This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2010; most recently modified version published online June 2022). riddlen.2 Origin: A variant or alteration of another lexical item. Etymon: ridder n.1 Etymology: Alteration of ridder n.1, with dissimilation or suffix substitution (see -el suffix1). Compare post-classical Latin ridellus, riddellus (frequently from 1250 in British sources), ridlus (1314 in a British source; < English).The form hirdle shows metathesis. Compare ( < Old English) Welsh rhidyll (13th cent.), Middle Breton ridell; the form of the Welsh word and the existence of its Breton cognate appear to imply a date of borrowing in or before the 6th cent. (and therefore earlier currency in English): see discussion in M. Förster in Anglia 61 (1937) 341–50. 1. the world > food and drink > food > food manufacture and preparation > preparation of grain > [noun] > sieving > sieve or riddle the world > physical sensation > cleanness and dirtiness > freedom from impurities > removal of impurities > sifting > [noun] > sieve lOE (Corpus Cambr.) xvii. 455 Syfa, sædleap, hriddel, hersyfe. c1350 Nominale (Cambr. Ee.4.20) in (1906) 17* Sak cryuere et sace, Sak ridelle and heresyue. a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus (BL Add.) f. 243v Corn is y-clensed wiþ syve or with riddil. (Harl. 221) 433 Rydyl, of corn clensynge, cribrum, capisterium, ventilabrum, currifrugium. ?c1475 (BL Add. 15562) f. 104 A Rydyll vbi seffe, cribrum or siffe. 1566 in T. Wright (1869) 123 For dyginge and siftinge of ytt [sc. sand], and for a new rydle. 1581–2 Inventory in H. Best (1857) 172 In ye ketchenge 2 wynder cloes, 9 sexe, 3 ruddles, and a seife. 1601 P. Holland tr. Pliny I. xvi. xi. 464 The same are shred and minced so small, as they may passe through a sieve or a riddle. 1638 in W. K. Tweedie (1847) II. 22 God takes up the ridle, and seif, and fyne of his promise and commandments. 1676 J. Evelyn 152 Casting the coarse remaining stuff, which would not pass the riddle, into the Cistern again. 1703 R. Thoresby Let. 27 Apr. in J. Ray (1848) 426 Rudle, a ridle. 1707 J. Mortimer (1721) I. 140 Horse-beans and Tares together..are easily parted with a Riddle. 1791 J. Woodforde 17 Mar. (1927) III. 255 To a Sieve Maker of Reepham..for putting a new Bottom to a Corn Ruddle pd. o. 2. 6. 1798 in (1799) 1 171 My hull is like a riddle. ?1830 P. Sellar Kyle in Ayrshire 40 in The stones..are freed from sand by being thrown into a riddle. a1862 H. D. Thoreau (1864) i. 3 Through this steel riddle, more or less coarse, is the arrowy Maine forest..relentlessly sifted, till it comes out boards, clapboards [etc.]. 1877 F. Ross et al. Ruddle, a sieve; a riddle. 1881 24 Dec. 450/2 The wool..is carried..by a conveyer, run by a small engine to a riddle... The riddle is a simple contrivance, consisting of a box [etc.]. 1921 Mar. 111/2 12 parts river sand, 1 part flour, 1 part oil..thoroughly mixed and run through a riddle. 1958 H. G. Sanders (ed. 3) 330 The simplest form of riddle is a sieve standing on a stick. 2001 J. McGowan ii. 62 When the threshing was completed, the grain had to be cleaned. This meant it has to be run through a sort of sieve called a ‘riddle’. the world > food and drink > drink > intoxicating liquor > wine > [noun] > specific quantities of wine 1715 D. Forbes Pitfirrane MSS in (1968) VII. (at cited word) His wife, my sister, cherishes him by letting him know she had a Riddell for me. 1828 J. G. Lockhart Life R. Burns in 23 146 He..paid beforehand the landlord's bill for the ‘riddle of claret’, which is usually presented on such occasions in a Scotch burgh. 1831 J. Wilson in 30 413 I bet you a riddle of claret. 1889 7th Ser. 8 13 A riddle of claret is thirteen bottles, a magnum and twelve quarts. The name comes from the fact that the wine is brought in on a literal riddle. 1946 28 Aug. 3/7 This award gives the winner a riddle of claret. 2007 D. Rothwell 423 There's also a riddle of claret,..an amount that was presented in a riddle by magistrates invited to a celebratory dinner. society > occupation and work > equipment > metalworking equipment > [noun] > wire-making equipment 1843 C. Holtzapffel I. 425 The riddle is a piece of wood or metal with sloping pins, which lean alternately opposite ways, so as to keep the wire close down on the board. 1854 C. Tomlinson II. 1011/2 Hard-drawn and unannealed wires..are straightened..by drawing them through a riddle. 1875 E. H. Knight III. 2797/1 The riddle is made wide enough to contain several rows of pins, suitable for as many different sizes of wire as each wire requires a different set of pins. Phrasesthe mind > mental capacity > expectation > foresight, foreknowledge > prediction, foretelling > divination by specific objects > practise sieve-turning [verb (intransitive)] 1570 in J. Raine (1845) 117 I, Allice Swan,..used by the space of certen yeres to cast or tourne the riddle and sheares. 1573 in J. Raine (1845) 251 Ther was a wyff in Newcastell..that culd torne the ryddle [etc.]. 1589 Rec. Perth Kirk Session 1 Dec. in J. P. Lawson (1847) 191 (modernized text) Whilk day Violet Brown..was accused for turning of the riddle with sheers. 1650 in J. Hunter (1918) I. 101 A meeting for turning of the riddle for some money she wanted and a silver spoon. 1702 in H. Paton (1939) 81 That pice of devilrie commonly called turning the riddle... Marion Murray depont that she..together with the nurse held the riddle..and that the nurse mumbled some words mentioning Peter and Paul, and that when the nurse said these words the riddle stirred less or more. 1715 R. Boulton I. i. 8 Unlawful Charms, which old Women often make use of to produce Effects without natural Causes; as Charms to prevent evil Eyes..also curing of Worms, or stopping of Blood, by healing of Horse-crooks, or turning the Riddle. 1829 J. T. Brockett (new ed.) 246 In Northumberland young people turn the riddle..with the foolish idea of raising their lovers. 1893 J. K. Hewison I. 88 Their pranks in the ‘turning of the riddle’ fall under observation in the later ecclesiastical history of the Isle. the world > space > relative position > condition of being open or not closed > making holes or becoming holed > make (an opening or hole) [verb (transitive)] > make an opening or hole in or into > make many holes in 1749 ‘Machiavel’ 33 I kill'd the Devil, by all the Books in the World, from the Primmer to the Bible, I made a Riddle of his Body, I drove fifteen Slugs thro' it; here's the Blunderbuss, go to the Conjurer's House, and ye'll see the Rascal sprawling on the Ground. 1777 R. B. Sheridan i. iii. 3 'Tis well the catterwauling puppy made his escape:—a minute more, and I would have made a riddle of his calicoe carcase! 1817 J. Bradbury 19 He was instantly pierced with arrows so numerous, that, to use the language of Colter, ‘he was made a riddle of’. 1843 C. J. Lever li. 325 I was to be made a riddle of if I attempted to escape. 1922 J. A. Newton in 75 They made a riddle of it, those which went against it, and some leaped and cleared the rope entirely, so we did not stop a single fish. 2002 (Nexis) 18 July Gunmen made a riddle of his car. Compounds1568 (a1500) Colkelbie Sow i. 60 in W. T. Ritchie (1930) IV. 284 A..riddill revar. 1679 in G. F. Dow (1920) III. 304 Riddle sive, 1s. 1747 July 311/2 The greatest part of the corn, which falls thro' this riddle sive, is at once clear from chaff and huzzes. 1818 J. Palmer 48 One wire weaving and riddle manufactory. 1844 H. Stephens II. 332 That part of the sides that form[s] the riddle-frame lies horizontally. 1858 P. L. Simmonds Riddle-maker, a manufacturer of large coarse wire sieves. 1998 J. E. Davis ix. 181 Tradesmen were in demand—especially tinners, wire-workers, brickmakers.., riddle makers, millwrights, and stone masons. C2. 1893 28 274/1 The thible and riddle-board were two articles now rarely met with, although common enough during the times when oatmeal was in greater use than at present. 1969 E. H. Pinto 141 Riddleboards were formerly used in the North of England and Scotland for making oatcake or oatbread. 1818 14 Oct. 4/3 ‘And what..is riddle land?’ That which is of so open and loose a texture as to let the rain falling on it pass through it. the mind > mental capacity > expectation > foresight, foreknowledge > prediction, foretelling > divination by specific objects > [noun] > sieve 1709 in W. Andrews (1899) 124 The horrid sin of the hellish art of riddle-turning. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2010; most recently modified version published online June 2022). riddlen.3 Origin: Apparently a variant or alteration of another lexical item. Etymons: reddle n.; ruddle n.1 Etymology: Apparently a variant of either reddle n. or perhaps ruddle n.1, although the variation in the vowel is unexplained. Compare earlier raddle n.1 English regional. Now rare. the world > matter > colour > named colours > red or redness > red colouring matter > [noun] > earths as colouring matter 1681 J. Chetham iv. 28 Riddle or red Oker (with which people in Lancashire use to mark their Sheep). 1799 J. Banister 370 The sheep dealer, who by dexterously removing with the sheers each staring lock, colouring their fleeces with ochre or riddle, and fixing neatly on their backs a small conspicuous brand mark, adds so smart an air to their appearance, as to attract the eye greatly in their favour. 1886 H. Cunliffe Riddle, red chalk. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2010; most recently modified version published online March 2022). † riddlen.4 Origin: Formed within English, by conversion. Etymon: riddle v.1 Obsolete. 1880 E. Marshall I. 82 My mother..had dropped a tear over the riddle of a bullet in the flap. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2010; most recently modified version published online September 2019). riddlev.1Origin: Formed within English, by conversion. Etymon: riddle n.2 Etymology: < riddle n.2The Irish English form wriggle shows dissimilation of the consonant cluster -dl-. the world > action or operation > endeavour > trial or experiment > trial, test, or testing > try or test [verb (transitive)] > test by other specific methods ?c1225 (?a1200) (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 172 Satan is ȝeorne abuten þe for to ridli [a1250 Nero ridlen] þe ut of mine corne. c1384 (Douce 369(2)) (1850) Luke xxii. 31 Sathanas hath axid ȝou, that he schulde ridele [a1425 Royal, L. V. ridile; 1408 Fairf., L.V. ridle ȝou] as whete. c1450 (Harl. 6580) (1933) 202 (MED) As corne is rydelde, a man is so rydelde that is examyned inwardly and perfythly. 1581 N. Burne f. 80 Sathan desyrit to riddil ȝou as quheit. 1613 T. Jackson ii. 468 Appointed to riddle out some good meaning. 1630 W. Davenant iii. i Thus thy years do riddle grief away. 1649 W. Blith iv. 27 The Goodnesse of the water is as it were Ridled, Screened, and Strained out into the Land. 1831 T. Carlyle Let. 27 Mar. in (1976) V. 255 That mind, which must all be riddled monthly to see if there are any grains in it. 1863 W. T. M. Torrens I. 235 His power of sifting evidence, and riddling the truth out of reluctant or evasive witnesses. 2. c1384 (Douce 369(2)) (1850) Dan. xiv. 13 Thei brouȝten to ashe, and by al the temple he ridlide [a1425 L.V. riddlide; L. cribravit] byfore the kyng. 1616 B. Jonson Love Restored 58 in I Robbin-good-fellow, hee that sweepes the harth.., riddles for the Countrey maides, and does all their other drudgerie. 1788 W. Marshall I. 402 The sail-fan,—the common winnowing-fan of the kingdom at large,—requires one person to turn, one to riddle or ‘heave’, and one to fill the riddle or scuttles. 1844 H. Stephens II. 282 Very few people who profess to work in the barn can riddle well. the world > physical sensation > cleanness and dirtiness > freedom from impurities > removal of impurities > sifting > sift [verb (transitive)] the world > food and drink > food > food manufacture and preparation > preparation of grain > [verb (transitive)] > clean grain > by sieve (Harl. 221) 433 Rydelyn [?a1475 Winch. Rydely], cribro, capisterio. ?1523 J. Fitzherbert f. xlixv The bolles of flaxe whan they be rypeled of: must be redyled fro the wedes. 1570 P. Levens sig. Ki/2 To Riddle, cribrare. 1603 G. Owen (1892) xi. 90 Two ridlers, who ridle the coales when it is aland. 1617 in J. Imrie & J. G. Dunbar (1982) II. 33 To the servantis..that riddilt the lyme. 1688 R. Holme iii. 74/1 Ridling, is a sifting the corn from the chaff. 1712 J. Mortimer 219 The finest sifted Mould that can be got, which must be..rather ridled in than pressed down. 1729 P. Walkden 12 Sept. (1866) (modernized text) 41 I owed..3d. to his son, due for riddling and blending lime. 1784 No. 10. 5 As ridiculous as Hercules with the distaff, or a Duchess ridling cinders! 1833 J. Holland II. 203 The ashes, on falling, are riddled or sifted through the grating. 1844 H. Stephens II. 281 The shrivelled beans and other refuse being riddled out. 1890 W. J. Gordon 16 One is sifting or ‘riddling’ the old sand to make it ready for another casting. 1912 R. H. Palmer iv. 43 This mixture is wet with water, shoveled over, tramped down and riddled through a No. 4 sieve. 1969 J. Fowles iv. 24 It had three fires, all of which had to be stoked twice a day, and riddled twice a day. 1998 A. Thorpe (1999) ii. 94 He..spent the afternoon in the garden ‘riddling’ them through a wide sieve, as they riddled corn in the little tumbledown farm. 3. transitive. Frequently in passive with with. the world > space > relative position > condition of being open or not closed > making holes or becoming holed > make (an opening or hole) [verb (transitive)] > make an opening or hole in or into > make many holes in society > armed hostility > military equipment > operation and use of weapons > action of propelling missile > discharge of firearms > fire (a gun) [verb (transitive)] > shoot (a person or thing) > pierce or riddle the world > health and disease > ill health > injury > injure [verb (transitive)] > wound > wound with missile 1511 in J. Robertson (1857) III. 107 Cunningis..haue riddillit all the erdis of the Linkis richt weille. 1804 27 Oct. 656 Although the sides of his boat were riddled with shot he did not lose a man. 1835 A. Alison III. xxi. 175 Above 100,000 cannon-balls, and 25,000 bombs,..had riddled all its defences. 1874 J. R. Green iv. §3. 186 Edward riddled the Scottish ranks with arrows. 1886 80 213/2 Worms will riddle the wood-work of a ship. 1916 ‘B. Cable’ 209 You machine-gunners riddling holes in a target or a row of posts. 1937 30 237 On Rona the thrift-grown banks..are riddled with nesting burrows of Leach's Petrels. 1980 K. Crossley-Holland (1982) ii. 7 They..angrily seized and tortured her; they riddled her body with spears. 2002 (U.K. Special ed.) 23 Sept. 13/3 The attackers riddled Rahman, his two nephews and his driver with bullets. 1843 July 69 Her broad concave cheeks were rivelled with seams, stigmatized with scars, and riddled with the small-pox. 1872 ‘M. Twain’ 87 I dosed him with bad jokes, and riddled him with good ones. 1897 ‘Ouida’ viii They are as poor as Job and riddled with debts. 1907 June 637/1 The various distinguished speakers riddled the flimsy and amazing sophistry of the unrepublican opposition. 1928 3 Aug. 16/7 London is riddled through and through with receivers of textile goods. 1997 27 Mar. 47/3 Within a year, arthritis had riddled my body—wrists, elbows, feet, knees, hips and neck. 2006 3 Aug. 123/1 A teacher's dated pop selection riddled with errors. †4. society > travel > [verb (intransitive)] the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > going or coming in > go or come in [verb (intransitive)] > penetrate 1856 E. K. Kane II. x. 99 Blanket-bags are nearly useless below −30°, in a gale of wind; it riddles through them. 1887 J. A. Stewart in R. Shute (1888) p. xiii He riddled through one's seeming knowledge. 1892 G. Hake lxiii. 259 An enemy could cross a moat; could he riddle his way through the countless canals of Venezia? This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2010; most recently modified version published online March 2022). riddlev.2Origin: Formed within English, by conversion. Etymon: riddle n.1 Etymology: < riddle n.1 Compare German rätseln (15th cent. as †retzelen ; rare before 18th cent.). Compare riddling n.1, riddling adj. the mind > mental capacity > thought > continued thinking, reflection, contemplation > thinking about, consideration, deliberation > think about, consider [verb (intransitive)] c1426 J. Audelay (1931) 20 (MED) Remember ȝou of þe ryche mon and redle on his end, What is reches, his reuerans, his ryot, broȝt hym to. 2. the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > secrecy, concealment > a profound secret, mystery > puzzle, enigma, riddle > speak in riddles [verb (intransitive)] 1571 A. Golding tr. J. Calvin (xlix. 4) That is to say, Riddle thou in riddle. 1600 W. Shakespeare ii. iii. 59 Lysander riddles very prettily. View more context for this quotation 1660 J. S. iii. iii Madam, you riddle strangely. 1748 W. Melmoth I. v. 18 That 'he who knows not how to riddle, knows not how to live'. 1914 G. P. Baker vii. xxiii. 346 Horn played the game of chess, and I riddled with the Duke's daughter. 1605 sig. B2 Ciu. Is she a maid syr? Daff. You may aske Pluto, and dame Proserpine that: I would be loth to be ridelled syr. 1629 L. Carlell ii. sig. D2 What, do you riddle me; is she contracted, And can I by your counsell attaine my wishes? 1888 W. S. Gilbert i I can riddle you from dawn of day to set of sun. 1977 R. S. Noel xii. 141 Thór tricked Alvis by riddling him all night about the names of things in the languages of men, gods, giants, Elves, and Dwarves. 2004 B. Cook 256 He gazed at me in triumph, eyebrows raised and a silly smirk upon his face. He seemed to think that he had riddled me proper. the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > secrecy, concealment > a profound secret, mystery > puzzle, enigma, riddle > solution of puzzle, riddle, etc. > expound, solve [verb (transitive)] 1627 M. Drayton Moone-calfe in 176 The tale our Gossip Red-cap told before You so well ridled that there can no more Be said of it. 1664 Trevor in T. Carte (1735) 266 The affaire..is now understood and that mystery riddled to be a bragge. 1795 A. M. L. 40 Can a poor poet answer things so crude? Who riddles no-sense must be more than shrewd! 1824 S. E. Ferrier I. xxviii. 311 Promise that you will then riddle me right, and tell me why poverty is the greatest misfortune in the world. 1899 Feb. 95 Walker riddled this, not merely theoretically but in an extensive analysis of competition. 1941 T. S. Eliot v. 14 Release omens By sortilege, or tea leaves, riddle the inevitable With playing cards. 1997 G. Bear xii. 109 Alice cannot riddle this easily. the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > unintelligibility > depth, obscurity > make obscure [verb (transitive)] the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > secrecy, concealment > a profound secret, mystery > puzzle, enigma, riddle > have effect of a riddle [verb (transitive)] 1817 W. Scott II. v. 109 I think it will riddle him or he gets his horse ower the Border again. 2004 R. J. Leider & D. A. Shapiro i. 25 The same question has riddled us through our evolutionary history. Phrases In imperative and interjectional phrases. the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > secrecy, concealment > a profound secret, mystery > puzzle, enigma, riddle > solution of puzzle, riddle, etc. > expound, solve [verb (transitive)] 1588 ‘M. Marprelate’ 10 Riddle me a riddle what is that, his grace threatened to send Mistris Lawson to Bridewell? 1621 R. Montagu 526 Riddle me a riddle, what is this? 1668 W. Davenant iii. i Riddle my riddle, what's this? 1837 T. L. Peacock 38 Come riddle my riddle—Oho! Oho! The cat and the fiddle—Oho! Oho! 1590 ‘Pasquil’ sig. Bv Riddle me, riddle me, what was he that told [etc.]. 1631 P. Fletcher v. vi. sig. L4 I haue another play within to doe. Riddle me, Riddle me, what's that? 1673 E. Hickeringill 199 Riddle me, riddle me what it is. 1704 W. Coward 33 Now Riddle me, Riddle me again: How can any Substance void of Quantity receive Pleasure? 1768 I. Bickerstaff ii. v. 26 Riddle me, riddle me ree. 1837 June 295 Riddle me, riddle me right, ye wise, And tell me what I am thro' my words' disguise. 1888 1 103 Riddle me, riddle me right, Guess where I was last Friday night? 1936 9 7 These opening words have a meaning somewhat resembling our ‘riddle me, riddle me’, and are used as an introduction before all riddles. 1994 J. Cole & S. Calmenson 57 Riddle me, riddle me, what is that Over the head and under the hat? 1615 R. Brathwait sig. Z4 Riddle me this. a1661 B. Holyday tr. Juvenal (1673) 38 Riddle me this: what's he, that to Rome came [etc.]? 1773 O. Goldsmith v. 93 Riddle me this then. What's that goes round the house, and round the house, and never touches the house? 1837 Nov. 320/2 What do you say to her refusing to have a review, eh?.. Riddle me that. 1861 C. Reade lxxxvii. 216 Think? Why I should be dead else. Riddle me that. 1891 H. Pyle xi. 88 Canst thou riddle me why it is so, Myles? 1943 J. T. Farrell iv. xix. 278 He has gone out of the world with all he came in with. Now riddle me that, will you? 1977 T. Murphy xi. 86 Whist now a minute and riddle me this. 2006 A. Robbins ix. 226 Ok now riddle me this: do you think we will be able to go on being just real good friends after this? Phrasal verbs With adverbs in specialized senses. † to riddle forth Obsolete. the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > secrecy, concealment > a profound secret, mystery > puzzle, enigma, riddle > solution of puzzle, riddle, etc. > expound, solve [verb (transitive)] 1624 F. Quarles xiv. 84 You understand To riddle forth man's Fortunes by his Hand. a1651 N. Culverwell Spiritual Opticks in (1652) 181 Our knowledge of God here is thus cloudy and enigmatical... And thus the Sripture [sic] riddles him forth; with him is no beginning of dayes, nor end of life. to riddle out the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > secrecy, concealment > a profound secret, mystery > puzzle, enigma, riddle > solution of puzzle, riddle, etc. > expound, solve [verb (transitive)] 1647 H. More 33 So might we riddle out some mystery. 1685 H. More xii. 91 The Time-eaten names of the Consuls in that Monumentum Ancyranum above-mentioned, as riddled out by T. L. 1821 H. C. Knight (ed. 2) I. 158 Fond youth, nay take a smile or two, And riddle out your fate. 1862 H. Mayhew 482 Riddle it out as skeptics may, the emotion which causes us to suffer others' sufferings—to share in their misery—to take part in their afflictions, is..unselfish. 1927 J. Buchan xvii. 290 It's queer doctrine, and maybe I havena riddled it out right, for I'm loth to believe that an honest man could uphold it. 1998 P. Dresch in W. James & N. J. Allen xiii. 130 One cannot riddle this out by amateur philology, for the term occurs in the Qur'an just once. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2010; most recently modified version published online March 2022). <  n.1OE n.2lOE n.31681 n.41880v.1?c1225v.2c1426 |
