Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a fool, a simpleton.

1508		Dunbar ‘Of Discretioun in Geving’ in Mackenzie Poems (1932) 33: And for a huidpyk haldin is he, That all the warld cryis on him, Fy.
1515–16		Skelton Magnyfycence line 1161: Cocys bonys! It is a farle freke. Can he play well at the hoddypeake?
1519		J. Rastell The Four Elements line 1194: Now ryse up, maister Huddy Peke.
1523–4		Skelton ‘How the Douty Duke of Albany’ in Henderson Complete Poems (1948) 406: Give it up, and cry creke, / Like an hoddipeake!
1538		J. Bale Comedye Concernyng Three Lawes (1550) Bii: I thought so by your stature And by your auncyent gesture [...] Welcome Syr Huddypike.
1549		H. Latimer 3rd Sermon before Edward VI (Arb.) 84: What ye brain-sycke fooles, ye hoddy peckes, ye doddye poulles, ye huddes, do ye beleue hym? are you seduced also?
1554		J. Christopherson Exhortation to [...] Beware Rebellion n.p.: They counte peace to be cause of ydelnes, and that it maketh men hodipekes and cowardes [N].
1568		Hist. of Jacob and Esau II ii: There is not this daye all the worlde rounde Suche an other hodypeake wretche to be founde.
1575		‘Mr. S’ Gammer Gurton’s Needle in Whitworth (1997) III iii: Art here again, thou hoddypeak?
1582		Stanyhurst in Of Virgil his Æneis II: Weene you (blind hodipecks) thee Greekish nauye returned?
1582		Stanyhurst ‘An Endevoured Descripton of his Mystresse’ in Carpenter Verse in English from Tudor & Stuart Eng. (2003) 69: These faultes fond Hodipecks impute too Nature.
1822		R. Nares Gloss. (1888) I 426: hoddy-peke. A ludicrous term of reproach, generally equivalent to fool; perhaps originally synonymous with hodmandod, or snail.

2. (also hoddy-peel) a cuckold [the snail’s horns become those of the cuckold].

1590		Nashe Almond for a Parrat III 348: Learne of her, you London Matrones, to make hodie-peeles of your husbandes, and leade like good soules vp and downe the streetes by the hornes.
1594		Nashe Unfortunate Traveller in Works V (1883–4) 92: No apt means had this poore shee captiued Cicely, to worke her hoddy peake husbande a proportionable plague to his ielousie.
c.1676		Whythorne Autobiog. 43: [Told] in skoffing maner pat I was but A huddypick & lakt awdasite.