hoodling
n.— «Dr. Wolf: “What is hoodling?” Mr. Ferrell: “That’s it, hoodling (demonstrates “Possum in a pawpaw patch, picking up pawpaws and putting them in his pocket.”).” Dr. Wolf: “That’s hoodling, is it?” Mr. Ferrell: “Yeah, that’s hoodling too, I guess. That’s hoodling too.”)» —“Hoodling Song” by James Clifton Ferrell in Memphis, Tennessee John Quincy Wolf Folklore Collection (Lyon College, Batesville, Arkansas) June 30, 1963. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Ophelia in Johnson City, Tennessee, wonders about the exclamation her great-grandmother often used when something surprised her: Cat bristle! That may be her own version of a minced oath, although it fits with the idea of how a cat’s tail might look...
A documentary film called My Beautiful Stutter follows youngsters at a summer camp specifically for stutterers. It’s a place for finding acceptance, support, and confidence for navigating the larger world. And:, “The High Priestess of...
The word “hoodling” as an adjective comes in “Binker” a poem by AA Milne written (I guess) about 1925 … oddly (?) enough it is quoted in The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins .
What the word means in the context of the poem I have no idea at all .