Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a rustic, a simpleton.

1552		G. Walker Detection of Vyle and Detestable Use of Dice Play 15: He, namely Hodge Setter, whose surname witnesseth what opinion man had of him [...] was thought peerless at crafty play.
1575		Appius and Virginia in Farmer (1908) 28: Hard by Hodge’s acre, at Gaffer Miller’s stile.
1589		Greene Menaphon 27: Besides, who knows not that these Arcadians are giuen to take the benefit of euery Hodge, when they will sacrifice their virginity to Venus.
1593		‘Philip Foulface’ Bacchus’ Bountie in Harleian Misc. II (1809) 308: The fourteenth was called Hodge Heviebreech.
1598		J. Hall Virgidemiarum (1599) Bk IV 58: Nay then his Hodge shall leaue the plough and waine, And buy a booke.
1615		Merrie Dialogue Between Band, Cuffe, and Ruffe A: No, Hodge Peake, its more than you can doe.
1630		J. Taylor ‘Fennors Defence’ in Works (1869) II 151: Thou hopst to se me whipt; stand fast blind Hodge, / For feare thou stumble into th’ Porters Lodge.
1639		R. Davenport New Tricke to Cheat the Divell I ii: Thou wilt not swagger, Hodge?
1654		Witts Recreations Epigram No. 148: Hodg [sic] hir’d a house, at such a rent.
1660		S. Marmion Soddered Citizen IV iii: Hodge, Come hither Hodge.
1675		Marvell ‘Hodge’s Vision from the Monument’ in Goldsmid Pol. Satires (1885) I 38: A Country Clown call’d Hodge, went up to view The Pyramid.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Hodge a Country Clown, also Roger.
1700		‘Twangdillo’ in Playford Pills to Purge Melancholy II 226: She‘d dance Northern Nancy, / Ask’d Parler vous Fransay, / That Hodge might her Breeding see.
1714		J. Gay Shepherd’s Week 1st Pastoral 10: Sun-Beams bright [...] gild the Thatch of Goodman Hodges’ Barn.
1724		A. Ramsay Tea-table Misc. (1733) IV 379: Hodge of the Mill and buxom Nell. Young Roger of the mill [...] Put on his best apparel.
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1749		Scts Mag. 1 Oct. 31/1: Hodge bow’d again, and scratched his head.
1786		C. Morris ‘Billy Pitt and the Farmer’ Collection of Songs (1788) 23: Hodge cry’d ‘Begone, or I’ll crack thy young crown.’.
1797		New London City Jester 21: Madam, cried Hodge, I am a poor countryman.
1800		Sporting Mag. May XVI 100/2: Seeing Hodge cross the road with a barrow of stones.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum n.p.: Hodge, an abbreviation of Roger: a general name for a country booby.
1825		‘Nan of the Vale’ Humorous Songster 8: Hodge spoke his passion till quite out of breath.
1837		Lytton Ernest Maltravers IV 163: Honest Hodge there, with the lanthorn.
1851		Lytton My Novel (1884–5) II Bk XI 288: Poor Hodge thinks moral force is all my eye.
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict.
1872		Ipswich Jrnl 14 May 1/5: Badly Hodge treats me, / kicks his poor Donkey, / Calls me vulgar name, / Thumping till I’m lame.
1873		Siliad 162: Hodge shall think the end is near.
1885		‘’Arry on the Elections’ Punch 12 Dec. 277/2: If that Cow and Three Acres does fetch him, Hodge must ’ave a puddeny chump.
1893		National Observer 25 Feb. ix 358: ‘Pay me an infinitesimal sum, Lord Winchilsea says (in effect) to Hodge, ‘and you shall have a weekly newspaper for nothing’ [F&H].
1894		Leicester Chron. 15 Sept. 1/5: The Condition of Hodge. The farm labourer [...] The least favourable aspect of Hodge’s social state is his dwelling.
1905		H. Lawson ‘Australia’s Peril’ in Roderick (1967–9) II 137: Are you ‘Hayseeds’ and ‘Hodges’ and ‘Bushies’ the butt of the comic cartoons?
1918		Liverpool Echo 27 Mar. 4/3: Hodge on Strike. The farm labourers employed in [...] districts of Wirral have gone on strike for higher wages.
1922		Western Times 9 May 8/6: The sunshine was reflected in Hodge’s beaming countenace at Sidmouth Market yesterday.
1942		Berrey & Van den Bark Amer. Thes. Sl. §391.3: rustic, bumpkin, hodge.