muddle

noun

1. A servant's attendant; underservant.

   “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.”

   “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.”

verb

Etymology: From Middle English modelen (attested in present participle modeland (“wallowing”)), from Middle Dutch moddelen (“to make muddy”), from modde, mod (“mud”) (Modern Dutch modder). By surface analysis, mud + -le. Compare German Kuddelmuddel.

1. To mix together, to mix up; to confuse.

   “Young children tend to muddle their words.”

   “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”

2. To mash slightly for use in a cocktail.

   “He muddled the mint sprigs in the bottom of the glass.”

3. 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”

4. To make turbid or muddy.

   “He did ill to Muddle the Water.”

5. To think and act in a confused, aimless way.
6. To cloud or stupefy; to render stupid with liquor; to intoxicate partially.

   “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.”

   “[…] 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!”

7. To waste or misuse, as one does who is stupid or intoxicated.

   “They muddle it [money] away without method or object, and without having anything to show for it.”