fud´dler

fud|dle «FUHD uhl», verb, -dled, -dling, noun. Informal.

–v.t.

1. to make stupid with drink; intoxicate: »

The inhabitants…get fuddled with mint-julep and apple-toddy (Washington Irving).

2. to confuse; muddle; stupefy: »

He once fuddled a group of government mediators with a speech urging “a program for planned pragmatism” (Newsweek).

–v.i.

to have a drinking bout; tipple; booze.

–n.

1. = intoxication. (Cf. ↑intoxication)

2. the state of being muddled or confused.

╂[origin uncertain. Compare dialectal German fuddeln to swindle.]

–fud´dler, noun.