[‘ A person who engages ineffectually or superficially in an occupation or pastime; a dilettante.']
Pronunciation: Brit. /ˈpɪdl̩ə/, ˈpɪdlə, U.S. /ˈpɪd(ə)lər/
Forms: see piddle v. and -er suffix1; also 19– *piddeler* /U.S. regional/.
Etymology: < piddle v. + -er suffix1.
/colloq./ /derogatory/.
A person who engages ineffectually or superficially in an occupation or pastime; a dilettante.
1602 T. Dekker /Blurt Master-Constable/ sig. C4, This Flaxen hayr’d men are such pu-lers, and such pidlers.
1646 N. Barnet /Regenerate Mans Growth in Grace/ 42 We are but Pidlers in his service, we can do nothing to any purpose.
1730 M. Concanen /Speculatist/ 39 The Disgrace which Poetry lies under at present is in great Measure owing to those Piddlers in it.
1779 J. Lovell /Let./ 28 Sept. in J. Adams /Wks./(1854) IX. 490 If this was not the piddler, it might be the oddity of Virginia.
1800 in /Spirit of Public Jrnls./(1801) *4* 360 He was a mere piddler compared to me.
1899 B. W. Green /Word-bk. Virginia Folk-speech/ 274 /Piddler/, one who piddles; a mere trifler or good-for-nothing.
1922 I. Gershwin /Mischa, Jascha, Toscha, Sascha/ in R. Kimball /Compl. Lyrics I. Gershwin/(1993) 29/1 Other fiddlers are just piddlers.
1992 /Dragon Mag./ Feb. 36/3 All other gods are mere cosmic piddlers who have deluded their followers.