1842. Tennyson, Poems, 'The Goose.' I knew an old wife lean and poor; Her rags scarce held together.
1855. Thackeray, Newcomes, xxxv. Old hags . . . draped in majestic raggery.
d. 1867. Brown, Artemus Ward [S. J. and C.]. Wall, don't make fun of our clothes in the papers. We are goin' right straight through in these here clothes—we air. We ain't agoin' to rag out till we get to Nevady.
1869. S. Bowles, Our New West, 506. A finely dressed woman rags out.
1870. Hazlewood and Williams, Leave it to Me, i. He has forbidden me his house. Joe. I see; told you to tip your rags a gallop, and you won't go.
1877. Figaro [reference lost]. We took a last peep, and saw the rag-tacker, mounted on a stool, still declaiming with an energy that argued much for his zeal.
1878. Tramp Exposed, 21. The Ragsooker, an instrument attached to the end of a long pole for removing clothes-*pins from the lines, and afterwards dragging the released clothes over the fence.
1889. Sporting Times [S. J. & C.]. A writer in a penny rag . . . failed far more lamentably . . . to entertain the public.
1888. Henley, Book of Verses, 'Hospital Outlines.' Rags and Tatters, belts and bayonets.
1900. Kipling, Stalky and Co., 228. You cut along and finish up your old rag, and Turkey and me will help.
1895. Pall Mall Gaz., 19 Sept., 2, 1. I refer to the . . . yelling of a set of wretched creatures selling wretched papers, which, since the introduction of these rags within the last few years, has become unbearable.
1899. WHITEING, John St., iii. The daily paper, now, veritably . . . a daily rag. Ibid., vi. That gal would live by a flower basket where others would starve. Rag-bags tied in the middle with a bit of string.
1899. Answers, 14 Jan., 1, 1. This matter of the rag is hedged about with many unwritten laws. One who has mastered these will never go to breakfast in another man's rooms in cap and gown . . . Nor will he wear the rag in the theatre which is strictly barred.
1901. D. Telegraph, 3 Oct., 9, 1. There is some talk, we believe, of a prosecution; but meanwhile the scandalous rag can be seen in the kiosks, "open pages," as our Correspondent says, "being flaunted in conspicuous positions."
4. (American).—Bank paper, bills of exchange, and so forth; soft (q.v.). Whence rag-shop = a bank (see ante); RAG-SHOP boss (or cove) = a banker; rag-shop cove = a cashier; rag-money (or CURRENCY) = SOFT (q.v.); TO FLASH ONE'S RAGS = to display one's notes; without a rag = penniless. Old Cant.
a farthing: whence in pl.
money (B. E. and Grose).
1593. Shakspeare, Com. Errors, iv. 4. Not a rag of money.
1613. Beaumont and Fletcher, Captain, iv. 2. Jac. 'Twere good she had a little foolish money To rub the time away with. Host. Not a rag, Not a denier.
1826. Old Song, 'Bobby and His Mary' [Farmer, Musa Pedestris (1896), 95]. The blunt ran shy, and Bobby brushed To get more rag not fearing.
1840. American Song . . . The banks are all clean broke, Their rags are good for naught.
1864. Glasgow Citizen, 19 Nov. Is not the exhilarating 'short length' of handy known beyond our own Queen Street that it is not registered here? And we miss the rag trade whose worthy members do the above named goes.
1875. Nation, 29 July, 66. All true Democrats were clamorous for 'hard-money' and against rag-money.
1887. Henley, Villon's Straight Tip, 1. Suppose . . . you pitch a snide, or smash a rag.
1889. Leland in S. J. & C.. s.v. Rags . . . bank-bills. Before . . . uniform currency, bills of innumerable banks of the "wild cat," "blue pup," and "ees' dog" description often circulated at a discount of 50 or 60 per cent., in a very dirty and tattered condition. These were . . . rags, a word still used . . . for paper-money.
