# muddle
## English
### Pronunciation

* (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /ˈmʌdl̩/
* (General American) IPA: /ˈmʌd(ə)l/
* Audio (General American):(file)
* Rhymes: -ʌdəl
* Hyphenation: mud‧dle

### Etymology 1

From Middle English modelen (attested in present participle modeland (“wallowing”)), from Middle Dutch moddelen (“to make muddy”), from modde, mod (“mud”) (Modern Dutch modder). Compare German Kuddelmuddel.

#### Verb

muddle (third-person singular simple present muddles, present participle muddling, simple past and past participle muddled)
* To mix together, to mix up; to confuse.
    Young children tend to muddle their words.
** 1847, Francis William Newman, A History of the Hebrew Monarchy:I will not , to please hostile critics , muddle the argument by making it one of recondite learning , in which neither I nor my readers are strong . I try to lay before the reader reasons from which he can judge for himself
* To mash slightly for use in a cocktail.
    He muddled the mint sprigs in the bottom of the glass.
* To dabble in mud.
** c. 1721-1722, Jonathan Swift, The Progress of Marriage
    Young ducklings foster'd by a hen; But, when let out, they run and muddle
* To make turbid or muddy.
** 1692, Roger L’Estrange, “ (please specify the fable number.) (please specify the name of the fable.)”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: […], London: […] R[ichard] Sare, […], →OCLC:He did ill to Muddle the Water.
* To think and act in a confused, aimless way.
* To cloud or stupefy; to render stupid with liquor; to intoxicate partially.
** 1692, Richard Bentley, [A Confutation of Atheism] (please specify the sermon), London: [Thomas Parkhurst; Henry Mortlock], published 1692–1693:Their old master Epicurus seems to have had his brains so muddled and confounded with them, that he scarce ever kept in the right way.
** 1733, Humphry Polesworth [pseudonym; John Arbuthnot], Alexander Pope, compiler, “Law is a Bottomless Pit. Or, The History of John Bull. […]. The Second Part. Chapter VIII. A Continuation of the Conversation betwixt John Bull and His Wife.”, in Miscellanies, 2nd edition, volume II, London: […] Benjamin Motte, […], →OCLC, page 99:[…] I vvas for five Years often drunk, alvvays muddled, they carry'd me from Tavern to Tavern, to Alehouſes and Brandy Shops, and brought me acquainted vvith ſuch ſtrange Dogs!
* To waste or misuse, as one does who is stupid or intoxicated.
** 1821, William Hazlitt, On the Want of Money:They muddle it [money] away without method or object, and without having anything to show for it.

##### Derived terms

* muddle along
* muddled (adj)
* muddlement
* muddle on
* muddler
* muddlesome
* muddle the waters
* muddle through
* muddle up

##### Translations
#### Noun

muddle (plural muddles)
* A mixture; a confusion; a garble.
    The muddle of nervous speech he uttered did not have much meaning.
** 2023 July 24, Jason Horowitz, “What the Collapse of Spain’s Far Right Means Going Forward”, in The New York Times‎, →ISSN:As a result, no single party or coalition immediately gained enough parliamentary seats to govern, thrusting Spain into a familiar political muddle and giving new life to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who only days ago seemed moribund.
* (cooking and cocktails) A mixture of crushed ingredients, as prepared with a muddler.
* (archaic) A muddy mess.
** 1851, Henry Mayhew, London Labour and the London Poor, published 1861:I must drive as quick with a thunder-rain pelting in my face, and the roads in a muddle, and the horses starting—I can’t call it shying, I have ’em too well in hand,—at every flash, just as quick as if it was a fine hard road, and fine weather.

##### Derived terms

* muddle-headed

##### Related terms

* mudpuddle

##### Translations
### Etymology 2
#### Noun

muddle (plural muddles)
* (India, historical) A servant's attendant; underservant.
** 1985, Lizzie Hessel, Ann Brown, Anne Rose, Lizzie: A Victorian Lady's Amazon Adventure, page 132:We bought a few rugs and odds and ends and our sitting room looks quite European; then we have a bedroom with 2 beds and a dressing room, also a corridor for the muddles and servants.
** 2022, Carl Thompson, Katrina O'Loughlin, Éadaoin Agnew, Women's Travel Writings in India 1777–1854, page 201:I have an ayah (or lady's maid), and a tailor (for the ayahs cannot work); and A—84 has a boy: also two muddles—one to sweep my room, and another to bring water.

##### References

* Henry Yule, A[rthur] C[oke] Burnell (1903) “muddle”, in William Crooke, editor, Hobson-Jobson […] , London: John Murray, […].