the origin of 'stodgy' is somewhat obscure, first appearing in english in the 19th century. it likely evolved from the dialectal verb 'stodge', meaning to stuff or cram, possibly imitative of the heavy, sodden feeling of overeating. the '-y' suffix was added to form an adjective describing the qualities resulting from such stuffing: heaviness, dullness, and lack of lightness or inspiration. from its initial use describing soggy, filling food, its meaning expanded metaphorically to characterize anything perceived as boring, conventional, and unprogressive.

the word 'stodgy' is a simplex form. it is derived from the verb 'stodge', meaning to stuff full of food, which is of unknown origin, possibly imitative or dialectal. the suffix '-y' is a common english adjectival suffix.