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1819. Moore, Tom Crib's Memorial, p. 11. While Eld—n, long doubting between a grey nag And a white one to mount, took his stand in a drag.
1820. Reynolds ('Peter Corcoran'). Glossary at end of The Fancy, s.v.
1839. Lever, Harry Lorrequer, ch. x. He turned out what he calls a four-in-hand drag which dragged nine hundred pounds out of my pocket.
1855. Thackeray, Newcomes, ch. xxviii. Lord Kew's drag took the young men to London; his lordship driving, and the servants sitting inside.
2. (old).—A chain.
1821. D. Haggart, Life, Glossary, p. 171, s.v.
3. (old).—A street or road; Back-drag = a back street.
1851-61. H. Mayhew, London Lab. and Lon. Poor, vol. 1., p. 232. He 'patters' very little in a main drag (public street).
4. (thieves').—Three months' imprisonment; also three moon. For synonyms, see Dose.
1851-61. H. Mayhew, London Lab. and Lon. Poor, vol. 1., p. 233. Sometimes they are detected, and get a drag (three months in prison).
1883. Horsley, Jottings from Jail. But neither Snuffy (Reeves, the identifier), nor Mac (Macintyre) knew me, so I got a drag and was sent to the Steel.
1884. Greenwood, Seven Years' Penal Servitude. Well, sir, as I was saying, I only got a drag for the last job. Oh, I beg pardon, a drag means three months. Three weeks is called a drag, too—a cadger's drag.
5. (general).—Feminine attire worn by men. To go on, or flash the drag = to wear women's attire for immoral purposes.
1870. Reynolds, 29 May, 'Police Proceedings.' He afterwards said, that instead of having a musical party he thought he would make it a little fancy dress affair, and said, We shall come in drag, which means men wearing women's costumes.
1870. London Figaro, 23 June. There is a good deal about Tom and Jerry which our superior refinement might term low—not quite so low though, as going about in drag or consorting with creatures who do.
6. (common).—A lure; trick; stratagem.
7. (hunting).—A fox prepared with herring or aniseed and brought to covert in a bag.
1869. W. Bradwood, The O.V.H., ch. v. He subscribed to the drag at Oxford, though his first season had taught him to seek a less emulous scene of horsemanship.
1887. Caszell's Mag., Dec, p. 27. He was thrown from his horse, near London, they say, huntin' with a drag.
8. (old).—See Dragging.
Done for a drag, phr. (old).—Convicted of dragging (q.v.). Cf., drag = term of imprisonment.
To put on the drag, verb, phr. (colloquial).—To ease off or go slow; also to put on pressure.
Drag-cove, subs. (old).—A carter or driver of a drag (q.v., sense 1).
Dragging, verb. subs. (old).—Robbing vehicles.
Drag-lay, subs. (old)—The practice of robbing vehicles. [Grose, 1785.]
Dragon, subs. (common).—1. A sovereign. [From the device.] For synonyms, see Canary.
1827. Maginn, Translation of Vidocq. And collar his dragons clear away.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, or Rogue's Lexicon, s.v.
2. (venery).—A wanton. Cf., St. George (q.v.).
