Green’s Dictionary of Slang

to trifle, to ‘mess around’; thus twaddler, a trifler, twaddling adj., trifling.

1825		‘Bubble, Squeak and Pettitoes’ in Universal Songster I 7/1: Mighty lunatics, who mak’st us twaddle! / And, just like whirligigs turn’st all our noddles.
1831		Satirist (London) 19 June 88/1: Nor let Reform at singers stop, / But reach each Tory twaddler.
1834		[as 1825].
1842		Marryat Percival Keene 153: Law, granny, how you do twaddle!
1846		Censor (London) 4 Jan. 4/2: [The twaddling imbecility of a Tyrrell [...] the drivelling cant of a praise-god Plunkett.
1843		Gleaner (Manchester, NH) 21 Oct. n.p.: A correspondent asks if one of the publishers [...] is not a whig and the other twadler.
1856		C. Reade It Is Never Too Late to Mend II 39: The first crucifixion Eden saw he turned as sick as a dog – the first crucifixion Woodcock saw he twaddled in the crucified’s ear, left him on the cross, and went on his way well pleased.
1879		Era (London) 1 June 12/1: The public would not accept such humour [...] nor allow the twaddling sentiment.
1880		Bulletin (Sydney) 24 July 4/1: He is a miserable twaddler and looks like a debilitated sparrow with spectacles on.
1880		N.Z. Observer (Auckland) 18 Sept. 3: The ‘Morning Twaddler’ has dared to snub Mr. John Roly Polybank King, and yet the heavens haven't fallen! Moreover, the ‘Twaddler’ is still published!
1886		M.E. Kennard Girl in the Brown Habit III 74: It’s the same old twaddling story that I have heard dinned into my ears every day for the last month.
1897		‘Mark Twain’ Tom Sawyer, Detective 46: Then the jury’ll twaddle and twaddle and twaddle, and finally they’ll fetch in a verdict that he got shot.