1890. Answers, 27 Dec. He 'skedaddled out of the dock as quickly as he could,' fearing that he might be recognised as an old lag if he tarried unnecessarily.
1891. Times, 14 Sept. 'Capital Punishment'. 'Jack, my dear fellow,' they top a lag out here (W. Aust.) for slogging a screw. That piece of rope is a rare check. A 'screw' means a 'policeman' as well as a 'warder'.
1892. Tit Bits, 19 Mar., 417, 1. Broadmoor for all lags as go off their chump.
3. (Old Cant).—See quots Also Lage.
1573. Harman, Caveat (1814), p. 65.
Lag, water.
1610. Rowlands, Martin Markall p. 39 (H. Club's Repr. 1874). Lagge water or p—se.
1641. Brome, Jovial Crew, ii. I bowse no lage, But a whole gage Of this I bowse to you.
1665. R. Head, English Rogue, Pt. i. ch. v. p. 50 (1874). Lage, Water.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v.
1724. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
1724. E. Coles, Eng. Dict., s.v. Lage.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1811. Lex. Bal., s.v.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v.
4. (Old Cant).—See quots. Also Lage.
1567. Harman, Caveat, or Warening for Commen Cursetors, p. 86. Man. We wyll fylche some duddes of the Ruffemans, or myll the ken for a lagge of dudes.
1610. Rowlands, Martin Markall, p. 39 (H. Club's Repr. 1874). Lagge of dudes, a bucke of clothes.
1661. Fletcher, Beggar's Bush, v. 1. Tell us if it be milling of a lag of duds, The fetching-off a buck of clothes, or so?
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Lag-a-dudds. We cloy the Lag of Duds, Come let us steal that Buck of Cloths.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1811. Lex. Bal., s.v.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v.
5. (old).—See quots.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Lag-a-dudds, Lagg of the Flock, the hindmost.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Lag. Lag last, the last of a company.
6. (Westminster School).—A fag.
1881. Pascoe, Everyday Life in our Public Schools. Every morning the lag junior prepares and brings to hall the list.
7. (American theatrical).—1. A dialogue or scene of extra length; also (2) a wait.
1847. Darley, Drama in Pokerville, 112. A lag on the stage was immediately made up for by the pop of a cork.
Verb. (thieves').—1. To transport; to send to penal servitude. Lagged = (1) sentenced; and (2) imprisoned. Fr. aller à la grotto = to lump the lighter (q.v.): also se laver les haricots.
1819. Moore, Tom Crib, p. 78. A relative of poor Crockey, who was lagged some time since.
1811. Lex. Bal., s.v. Lag, The cove was lagged for a drag.
1824. Scott, St. Ronan's Well, ch. xxxi. 'I should not much like to have him lagged for forgery.'
1830. Lytton, Paul Clifford, p. 13. Ranting Rob, poor fellow, was lagged for doing a panny.
1838. Dickens, Oliver Twist, ch. xliii. 'What do you mean by lagging and a lifer,' demanded Mr. Bolter. . . . Being interpreted, Mr. Bolter would have been informed that they represented that combination of words, 'Transportation for life.'
1843. Moncrieff, Scamps of London, ii. 3. He was three times lagged.
1843. Punch, iv. p. 129. They say that a lord and a reverend were lagged the other day.
