Hobbledehoy

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Hobbledehoy \Hob"ble*de*hoy`\, Hobbletehoy \Hob"ble*te*hoy`\, n.
     [Written also {hobbetyhoy}, {hobbarddehoy}, {hobbedehoy},
     {hobdehoy}.] [ Cf. Prob. E. hobbledygee with a limping
     movement; also F. hobereau, a country squire, E. hobby, and
     OF. hoi to-day; perh. the orig. sense was, an upstart of
     to-day.]


     A youth between boy and man; an awkward, gawky young fellow .
     [Colloq.]
     [1913 Webster]
  
           All the men, boys, and hobbledehoys attached to the
           farm.                                    --Dickens. .
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  hobbledehoy
       n : an awkward bad-mannered adolescent boy