gadding the hoof
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Going without shoes. GADDING, roaming about, although used in an old translation of the Bible, is now only heard amongst the lower orders.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “gadding the hoof” mean?
Going without shoes. GADDING, roaming about, although used in an old translation of the Bible, is now only heard amongst the lower orders.
Is “gadding the hoof” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.