1599 ‘T. Cutwode’ Caltha Poetarum sig. E7 With that the Queene she fals into a lafter, and scarcely would beleeue this Riddeller.

1610 J. Donne Pseudo-martyr xii. 363 Were this..springing out of the spirituall authoritie as the Popes ridler makes his authoritie to bee?

1671 A. Behn Forc'd Marriage iii. i. 31 Prithee be not thou a Ridler too.

1743 A. Pope Dunciad (rev. ed.) iii. 157 Each Songster, Riddler, ev'ry nameless name.

1757 J. Home Douglas iii Thou riddler, speak Direct and clear.

1838 New Monthly Mag. 54 247 His elevation as a puzzler and riddler among men.

1900 Harper's Mag. May 837/2 Parnassus was a word often on the riddler's pens.

1978 Jrnl. Lancs. Dial. Soc. xxvii. 24 The earliest recorded English riddles, in which the riddler looks at familiar objects in an unfamiliar light.

2000 D. Adebayo My Once upon Time (2001) viii. 175 The Race Man had such formidable reputation as a riddler extraordinaire that his furnishing of assistance as practical as a set of documents was something I'd barely hoped for.

a1613 G. Owen Hist. Pembrokeshire in Cambrian Reg. 1796 (1799) 2 107/2 Twoe ridlers, who ridle the coles when it is a lande.

a1772 Ess. from Batchelor (1773) II. 50 With shaking nought remains but coals, To warm the riddler's breast.

1844 H. Stephens Bk. of Farm II. 273 The corn begins to accumulate amongst the riddlers' feet.

1893 R. S. Surtees Soapey Sponge's Sporting Tour (rev. ed.) xvi. 83 Riddling lime—most unpleasant..when the wind veers capriciously, and the riddler is inexpert at ‘dodging’.

1932 J. U. Nef Rise Brit. Coal Industry I. i. ii. 112 ‘Riddlers’ separated the output from the pits into ‘fire’ coal, consisting of the largest blocks, ‘smith’ coal, and ‘lime’ coal.

1964 E. Salisbury Weeds & Aliens (ed. 2) v. 118 The extent to which this final screening was successful must have depended upon the skill and muscular energy of the riddler.

2008 R. Rees Black Myst. 23 At each pit..there were two riddlers, who first took out the large lumps, the fire coal, and then riddled the remainder.

1962 Ebony Dec. 117 (advt.) For days upon days the riddlers have turned and gently thumped the long rows of neck-down bottles.

1996 Evening Post (Wellington, N.Z.) (Nexis) 10 Dec. 17 Nearby are the wooden A-frames upon which the riddlers practise their craft, giving each bottle a vigorous shake and a delicate turn.

2003 P. Ward Don't spit Good Stuff 160 A skilled riddler can handle 30,000 bottles each day, but the process is very manpower intensive.