1888. Notes and Queries, 7 S., v. 469. "He was chewing the rag at me the whole afternoon." Ibid., 7 S., vi. 38. To rag a man is good Lincolnshire for chaff or tease. At school to get a boy into a rage was called getting his rag out.
1892. Kipling, Barrack Room Ballads, 'The Young British Soldier.' You shut up your rag-box, an' 'ark to my lay.
1900. Athenæum, 31 Mar., 391, 2. There is not much sport in ragging a body of men some of whom were but lately rowing in the same boat with yourself or dining at the same table.
10. (common).—Generic for a jollification, a wenching- (or drinking-) bout, or (Amer. Univ.) a brilliant success in class: also rag-time. [In this connexion rag-rowtering = romping.] As adj., rag-time = merry, lively. Whence rag-time girl = (1) a sweetheart, a 'best girl,' and (2) a harlot.
1900. Daily Mail, 10 Mar., 2, 4. There was keen excitement at Cambridge yesterday when the magistrates proceeded to deal with the last two prosecutions of students arising out of the notorious rag in celebration of the relief of Ladysmith.
1902. Sp. Times, 1 Feb., 1, 5. It's the moosic what's a-queering your pitch! the ruddy people can't eat fried fish to rag time!
Verb. (common, thieves').—To divide; to nap the regulars (q.v.).
The rag, subs. phr. (London).—1. See quot.
1869. Greenwood, Seven Curses of London. The unaristocratic establishment in the neighbourhood of the Leather Lane, originally christened the "Raglan," but more popularly known as the "Rag."
2. (military).—See Rag and Famish.
To take the rag off, verb. phr. (America) = to surpass; to overcome; to 'take the cake' (q.v.).
1855. Haliburton, Human Nature, 28. The fun of the forecastle! I would back it for wit against any bar-room in New York or New Orleans, and I believe they take the rag off all creation. Ibid. 218. I had an everlasting fast . . . pacer . . . He took the rag off the bush in great style.
Ragamuffin, subs. (old colloquial:
long recognised).—A tattered
vagabond; also as adj. and adv.
= beggarly, ragged, disorderly.
[In quot. 1383 = the Devil.]—B.
E., c.1696; Halliwell,
1847. Also ragaboot, rag-*shag,
ragabrash, &c.
1383. Langland, Piers Plowman, xxi. 283. Ac rys vp, Ragamoffin, and reche me alle the barres.
1440. Prompt Parv., 421. Rag-*mann, or he that goythe wyth raggyd clothys, pannicius vel pannicia.
1597. Shakes., 1 Henry IV., 3, 36. Fal. . . . I have led my ragamuffins where they are peppered.
1601. Jonson, Poetaster, i. Here be the Emperor's captains, you ragamuffin rascal, and not your comrades.
c.1620. Disc. of a New World, 81. They are the veriest lack-latines, and the most unalphabetical raggabrashes that ever bred louse.
1634. S. Rowley, Noble Soldier, iv. 2. All rent and torne like a ragamuffin.
1660. Dryden, Don Sebastian, iv. 2. Be not afraid, Lady, to speak to these ragamuffins.
1707. Ward, Hud. Rediv., ii. iii. 3. Autumn that Raggamuffin Thief That blows down ev'ry fading leaf.
1769-72. Junius, Sin Stigmatized. The most unalphabetical ragabrashes that ever lived.
1771. Smollett, Humphry Clinker, 29. The postilion . . . was not a shabby wretch like the ragamuffin who had driven them into Marlborough
1887. Conn. Courant, 7 July [Century]. While the ragshags were marching . . . [he] caught his foot in his ragged garment and fell.
