English
hurkle-durkle
Hurkle-durkle comes from Scots hurkle-durkle ‘to lounge in bed’, and goes back to hurkle ‘to sit huddled in a crouched position either…’.
- Scotsc. 1450–presenthurkle‘to sit huddled in a crouched position either for warmth or secrecy’
- Scots, derivedc. 1450–presenthurkle-durkle‘to lounge in bed’
- Englishearliest quotation 2024same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Scotsc. 1450–presenthurkle‘to sit huddled in a crouched position either for warmth or secrecy’
- Scots, derivedc. 1450–presenthurkle-durkle‘to lounge in bed’
- Englishearliest quotation 2024same form
Earliest quotation: 2024, Carolyn Steber, On TikTok, Bed Rotting Is Out & Hurkle-Durkling Is In: “She [Devrie Brynn] went on to note that she…”
The story
The term was introduced into English after lexicographer Susie Dent began spreading awareness of the term in 2015, and went viral on TikTok in 2024.
Every English word from Scots hurkle
Today it means
verb To lounge in bed for an excessive period of time; to bed rot.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Scots hurkle / hurkle-durkle