Wtf is a "fuddle"

[AdalbertWafflin]

Exactly as the title says...
I started a new job Monday, and tomorrow there is an office "fuddle" to celebrate their end of year figures (yeah.. slightly random year end 🤷‍♀️). I'm extremely introverted and socially awkward at the best of times, don't make friends easily and small talk with people I don't really know is my idea of hell. Also, do I need to take anything? I have honestly no how to be a normal person in these situation. North Yorkshire border, in case it is a regional thing?

I wouldn’t be ‘slinking off’ at the first week in my new job no

Same 😂

I'm not socially awkward, yet I would find something like this a bit scary simply because I wouldn't know anyone, so you have my sympathy.

Is this happenning during office hours? If so I don't think you can get out of it. If it is after work you could just sneak off quietly.

Surely you must communicate with the people you work with even if it is just about work related stuff?

Sympathies OP. Long gone are the days where you could just turn up and do a job relatively well and then go home again eh?

Just one of the many reasons why I work for myself.

Because I've had all the therapy the NHS will provide and they deem it nothing more than mild social anxiety so don't want to help any more. It didn't work anyway and I can't afford to throw money at therapy that also might be unsuccessful.
How do I manage more important questions? I dont. I'm pushing 40 and it has taken me this long to get a "proper job". The consequence of not asking a serious question has to be more horrific than the thought of me asking the serious question, or I can't. But I think we've got derailed from the fiddle now 😂

If I were you I'd make a couple of quiches, one meat - ham, cheese and tomato and one veggie - goats'cheese and asparagus. That should do the trick.

A cross between fun and huddle?

Sounds shite anyway.

I agree.

‘Fuddle’ may be a regional term, I’m in the East Midlands and I’m familiar with it.

We have fuddles at work at Christmas. I wonder if it is a Yorkshire word? Everyone brings spme food to share.

Now I'd say 'you're/it's all in a fuddle' to mean mixed up or 'going for a fuddle' to mean aimlessly walking around shops to browse although I have a feeling my mum made the last one up (or its a black country thing). I'd be totally confused if work announced there was going to be a fuddle and I had to attend!

@PlanetNormal i agree it's regional. I'm from Sheffield. Op take a deep breath and don't panic. It's all very informal and will be a good way for you to meet your new colleagues.

I’ve been told fuddle is Yorkshire, Jacob’s join is Lancashire. Southerner working on the west York’s/east lancs border.

I think it's an East Mids term - a buffet where everyone brings something. A Colin the Caterpillar will be fine, or a bag of Doritos and some dip if you don't want to cook!

Well, I've learned something today.
I would call that a 'shared lunch'.
The only time I have heard the word 'fuddle' is if something is all mixed up / someone is all stressed by lots of little things that just need ironing out.

I'm not socially awkward, yet I would find something like this a bit scary simply because I wouldn't know anyone, so you have my sympathy.
But that is EXACTLY the point of having them. So you can get to know colleagues.

No, you definitely can't slope off. What kind of impression wold that make in your first few days in a new job? It is a work event which should help you to get to know your colleagues.

I always thought fuddle meant fuck up and muddle combined. Like ‘oh god that was a real fuddle’

Clearly just living in my own world and making up words 😂

Yes this - a mix up. A mess.

Are you a southerner or a Scot?

Fun +huddle here (also Yorkshire, do we all work for the same company). You don't bring anything at ours but might have to take it in turn to organise one - usually bringing a tub of mini bites and doing a quiz.

I think lockdown and hybrid working killed them mind

At our work they’re really informal.

dump your quiche/crisps/sausage rolls/elaborate home made cake/bottle of coke or whatever on the communal table.

at some point someone gets hungry and people start wandering over and helping themselves. Some stand and chat, some take a plate back to their desk, some go elsewhere to eat. Some cheeky fuckers from the department downstairs pop by and help themselves before disappearing with several platefuls for their colleagues.

spend 3 weeks never finding the plate you brought your cake on.

honestly it’s not that bad at all. It’s a fairly good conversation starter- i hate quiche/love cake/did you make this etc…

Reading comprehension fail! Too excited to find a fellow 😂 What a fuddle

I think I need to go to bed lol.

Yes a fuddle is a buffet that everyone contributes too. I'm in Sheffield. It's usually spelt out in clearer terms eg please bring savoury / sweet, add your contribution to a google doc in advance, label it with allergens, etc. Since there's no instructions it sounds quite informal. As pp says, bring generic savoury. Hope it goes well!

West Yorkshire - fuddle = food huddle

Bring some food :)

Would it help to have some set things to talk about?

Ask people how long they've worked here, what they do. Because you're so new it can actually be slightly easier because you can say to anyone "Hi I'm Wafflin, I only started this week so just wanted to say hello". People will respond with their name and probably ask you something. And you don't have to stay with any one person because you're new - "Right, lovely to meet you, I feel I'd better go and mingle as this is good chance to say hello to lots of people". Then skulk of to the loo to regroup if you need. Stock questions and a smile go a very long way at these events. You can do it!

Would you find it easier to say "I'm bringing crisps to the fiddle is that okay?" - that way you don't look clueless, but at the same time it might remind your colleagues that you're new and completely understandably know nothing about the office culture. It always annoys me in work the way people completely fail to explain stuff to new people - like they're expected to just know stuff by osmosis- I try to over rather than under explain, because it can't hurt.

Fiddle, fuddle, what the hell. I'm from a bit of lincs which is close to Yorkshire and have never heard the word before (closest I'd get is befuddled)