Interesting. What was the actual context? I always thought "hobbledehoy" was more like "yob" or "country bumpkin" and implied stupidity and clumsiness.
The character so designated is Johnny Eames in The Small House at Allington- an awkward, naive, inexperienced but not unintelligent young clerk in a government office. He loves Lily Dale but can't declare himself and meanwhile gets entangled with a predatory older woman.
I'd would say that "hobbledehoy" is closer to "nerd" than "geek." Awkwardness to the fore, not obsessiveness. But historically, a hobblehoy is a stripling, a half-grown youth, especially a clumsy one, all feet and hands.
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My mother's variant of the bounce-on-the-knee rhyme went like this:
This is the way the ladies ride: trit, trot, trit, trot
This is the way the gentlemen ride: trit-trot-trit-trot-trit-trot-trit-trot
By and by comes an old country clown: hobbledehoy, hobbledehoy, hobbledeyhow, wheeeeeeeeee
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This is the way the old man rides- hobble-dee, hobble-dee- and down into the ditch!
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Nine
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'A chap that be called a hobbledehoy
Is less of a man and more of a boy'
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Nine
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