Hillbilly Slang

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Piddlin’

In Appalachian and Southern speech, "piddlin’" (sometimes written "piddling") means 1) doing small, unimportant - even ridiculous tasks to seem busy (foolin’ around without much purpose), or 2) something tiny or insignificant, often described as a "piddlin’ amount."

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Hillbilly Dude Says...
When somebody's not doin' much o'nuthin - they 'piddlin’. Common talk out in the country for sure. 

Pronunciation

[PID-lin]

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Meaning & Usage

- Doing unimportant tasks or wasting time (verb)

Mae:
What’s Earl up to?
Earl:
Nothin’ much - just piddlin’ in the yard.

- Something small or insignificant (adjective)

Mae:
They paid him a piddlin’ wage for all that work.
variations: foolin’ around, tinkerin’, dawdlin’, messin’ around, piddlin’ amount, small potatoes, triflin’
★ When somebody’s "just piddlin’," they might look busy but aren’t really doin’ much. If it’s a "piddlin’ amount," it means hardly worth mentionin’. ★

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Created by The Hillbilly Dude, this site is a growing field guide to culture, speech, memory, and meaning - rooted in Appalachia but reaching across the world. Every slang word, saying, accent and story is gathered from first-hand experience and trusted sources. The goal: preserve authentic voices and share them with writers, learners, and culture lovers everywhere - with a little humor thrown in here and there. Read more...
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