Also erron. trudgeon. [f. proper name Trudgen: see below.] In full trudgen stroke: applied to a kind of hand-over-hand or double over-arm breast-stroke in swimming: so trudgen swimmer. Hence Trudge v., intr. to swim with this stroke; whence Trudger.
1893. Westm. Gaz., 3 Oct., 5/2. Thompson adopted the old-fashioned ‘trudgeon’ stroke in his spurt.
1902. J. A. Jarvis, Swimming, vi. 35. The best trudgen swimmers use a similar, though shorter leg kick, to that made when swimming over arm. Ibid. I am firmly convinced that the present records at all distances will be wiped out, and fresh ones put in their place by ‘trudgers.’
1904. Ralph Thomas, Swimming, 40. Hand-over-hand or Indian stroke. In this each hand (or arm) is alternately raised above the surface of the water, thrust forward and brought sharply back under water to the loins. There are many varieties, one of which is called the trudgen. Ibid., 418, note. John Trudgen … in 1863 … went to Buenos Ayres…. While there he learnt ‘to trudge’ from the natives.
1905. N. & Q., 10th Ser. IV. 205/1. The trudgeon-stroke … appears to date from 1868, when it was popularized by a Mr. Trudgen.
