Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. to move, to walk, to go or leave; thus toddling n.

1724		A. Ramsay Tea-table Misc. (1733) II 154: When todlen hame, todlen hame, When round as a neep ye come todlen hame. [Ibid.] 454: Todlen, a rolling short step.
1783		S. Johnson in Boswell Life (1906) II 463: I should like to come and have a cottage in your park, toddle about, live mostly on milk and be taken care of by Mrs. Boswell.
1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (3rd edn).
1818		‘Thomas Brown’ Fudge Family in Paris letter III 26: Here toddles along some old figure of fun.
1821		J. Burrowes Life in St George’s Fields 9: Away they toddled, and in a few minutes were within the strong wall.
1833		‘The Slap-Up Cracksman’ in Swell!!! or, Slap-Up Chaunter 42: Then lush — and throw the cat out light, / And toddle with your mot.
1833		Ely’s Hawk & Buzzard (NY) Aug. 31 n.p.: ‘My dear come lets toddle’.
1841		Punch 17 July I 7: Saying which, I toddled off for Wellington-street.
1848		Bell’s Life in Sydney 18 Nov. 3/3: No sooner had she entered the shop than a young lady requested her ‘to cut her stick and toddle’.
1850		W.K. Northall Life and Recollections of Yankee Hill 82: Just as the coach was leaving, the old lady toddled up to the coach door and called out to Mr. Hill.
1851		R.S. Surtees Young Tom Hall (1926) 182: I s’pose we must shut up — we must be toddlin’ homewards.
1866		Wild Boys of London I 157/1: Let’s toddle horf at wonce, helse we shall have to wait for the second ’ouse.
1875		‘Aliph Cheem’ Lays of Ind (1905) 173: With the help of his bearer, to bed he would toddle.
1877		Five Years’ Penal Servitude 247: She toddled along as if there was nothing but herself inside her togs.
1880		Bulletin (Sydney) 28 Feb. 6/2: He had seen all the great actors from the time he could toddle to Drury Lane or Covent Garden.
1887		W.S. Gilbert ‘The Precocious Baby’ Fifty ‘Bab’ Ballads 63: A month from to-day / Is as long as I’ll stay – / Then I’d wish, if you please, for to toddle away.
1890		Dead Bird (Sydney) 22 Nov. 5/3: ‘You rorty ass,’ the Hartist said; ‘Now toddle;’ / I’ve just engaged Miss Horo as a model’.
1896		E.W. Rogers [perf. Vesta Tilley] Only a Pair of Shoes 🎵 She’d suspicions in her noddle, off to Brum that night did toddle.
1897		Overland Monthly (CA) May 483: I must toddle up to Freeman’s and look after my boxes.
1901		‘Hugh McHugh’ Down the Line 41: His three-year-old toddled down the aisle and grabbed him by the coat-tail.
1901		D. Cotsford Society Snapshots 69: The Gardenia: Come out and have a cigarette. The Carnation. Thanks, I’m toddling.
1902		Bulletin Reciter 1880-1901 201: Suppose you must be toddling, if you promised Kate.
1905		H. Green Actors’ Boarding House (1906) 107: Guess I’ll toddle into the sleeper and get a snooze.
1908		Gem 17 Oct. 19: Then suppose you toddle along, and don’t interfere with me!
1910		C.J. Dennis ‘The Old Master’ in Bulletin 4 Aug. 13/1: And he toddles up to Mitchell. ‘Here,’ says he, ‘gimme that whip.’.
1914		Joyce ‘The Dead’ Dubliners (1956) 175: Kate and Julia came toddling down the dark stairs at once.
1915		S. Ford Shorty McCabe on the Job 52: ‘I’m an hour late at the Boomer Days’ as it is.’ ‘Then toddle along,’ says I.
1916		‘Anzac’ On the Anzac Trail 59: I toddled in by way of a row of butchers’ booths and fruitsellers’ stalls.
1918		Butterfly and Firefly 23 Nov. 8: He threw the photo at me and toddled off.
1925		S. Lewis Arrowsmith 251: Well, ta, ta, be good; gotta toddle along.
1925		Wodehouse Carry on, Jeeves 12–13: It wasn’t till nearly four that he toddled out of the library with the parcel under his arm, put it on the table, and toddled off again.
1932		(con. WWI) L. Mann Flesh in Armour 265: ‘I must toddle; good-bye’.
1934		Film Fun 8 Sept. 1: He toddled forward and grabbed hold of one or two of those boxes [...] Off he toddled with the damsel.
1938		F. Durbridge Send for Paul Temple (1992) 153: ‘Oh, well,’ he said, ‘I must be toddling!’.
1944		in A. Marshall These Are My People (1957) 145: I could see the best thing I could do was toddle, so I rolled up and snatched it.
1945		J. Maclaren-Ross Swag, the Spy and the Soldier in Lehmann Penguin New Writing No. 26 35: Little Eva, his daughter, aged two, toddled in from the passage.
1954		Wodehouse Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit 157: Aunt Dahlia’s butler, who came toddling in.
1956		J. Curtis Look Long Upon a Monkey 213: You won’t think me rude if I toddle along?
1961		‘Frank Richards’ Billy Bunter at Butlins 172: Toddle along for one of those chairs, if you want one.
1964		P. White Burnt Ones 163: Where have the old boys toddled off to?
1969		R. Rendell Best Man To Die (1981) 12: Let’s be toddling, Jack.
1975		‘P.B. Yuill’ Hazell and the Three-card Trick (1977) 84: The green van toddling along at a steady forty.
1982		P. Bailey An English Madam 95: He just toddles off to another room.
1992		G. Disher Paydirt [ebook] ‘Well, if you’ve finished for the day you might as well toddle off home’.
1999		Guardian G2 11 Oct. 5: We watch him pick up the hat and toddle off.
2000		F. Mac Anna Cartoon City 222: ‘There’s drinks tonight in the Nerve to celebrate. Are you coming?’ [...] ‘I suppose I’ll toddle along.’.
2007		L. Redhead Cherry Pie [ebook] ‘Toddled off down Fitzroy Street’.
2008		(ref. to 1971) F. Dennis ‘Old Bailey’ Homeless in my Heart 182: [The judge] sends the jury out to brood / And toddles off for his port...
2013		K. Sampson Killing Pool 18: Terry Connolly will toddle off to the loo.

2. (UK Und.) to bring before.

1833

‘Poll Tomkinson’ in Convivialist in Spedding & Watt (eds) Bawdy Songbooks (2011) IV 14: For the robin by a red breast he vos took avay / [...] / And afore the Beak vos toddled next day.