Dag (slang)

Last updated

Dag is an Australian and New Zealand slang term, also daggy (adjective). [1] In Australia, it is often used as an affectionate insult [2] for someone who is, or is perceived to be, unfashionable, lacking self-consciousness about their appearance and/or with poor social skills yet affable and amusing. It is also used to describe an amusing, quirky and likeable person (as in, "He's a bit of a dag") and is non-pejorative. The term was more widely used in the 1970s due to the popular New Zealand comedy of Fred Dagg (John Clarke). The term may be simply affectionate, such as when it was used to describe the recipes in the enduringly popular The Australian Women's Weekly Children's Birthday Cake Book . [3]

Contents

Differentiated from bogans , [4] whose accents are presumed to indicate working class or uneducated origins, dag refers to being unfashionable, eccentric and fool-like [5] and hence has no necessary ties with social class or educational background.

The literal meaning is a dung-caked lock of wool around the hindquarters of a sheep – an abbreviation of "daglock".

History

Originally a word meaning the dried faeces left dangling from the wool on a sheep's rear end, [6] the word dag is more commonly used in colloquial Australian English to refer to someone's unfashionable, often eccentric or idiosyncratic style or demeanor together with poor social skills and amusing manner. [7]

This colloquial use of the term "dag" was first recorded in the Anzac Songbook [6] in 1916 but has been popular since the 1970s. It has also been used interchangeably with the term "wag" as in "what a wag", [6] which refers to the amusing aspect inherent in 'dag' but without referring to fashion or style.

This use of "dag" comes closest in meaning to the UK slang term "pillock" (meaning fool) but "dag" is differentiated from terms like dork, nerd or geek by virtue of having no particular association with a drive for intellectual pursuits or interest in technology and no particular tendency towards being a loner. [8] It is also used differently in that it can be an affectionate term as much as, or even more than, an insult. However, one can simultaneously fit the archetype for a dag and a geek, dork or nerd.

Whilst "bogan" refers to being unfashionable in the slovenly sense, it is distinguished from "dag" in that the term "bogan" has no necessary links with being eccentric, idiosyncratic or amusing. Similarly, the more antisocial behaviours associated with bogans are usually not found amusing and are more associated with terms like yobbo. [9]

Dag style

Dag style is not by necessity slovenly. A dag may, for example, choose to wear textures that feel nice regardless of how they look or wear something they have become attached to even if it's old and worn out. The emphasis, however, is on being unconventional rather than the slovenly archetype associated with the term "bogan". [10]

Dags are considered amusing just by being themselves and attract feelings of either embarrassment or endearment from others. [10]

Dag music tends to be that which one's age peers wouldn't accept or would find out of date. Similarly, dags may wear hair and clothing styles they enjoy even where these are considered unfashionable or ridiculous.

The tendency of dags to stick with what they like regardless of the opinions or pressures from others wins respect from some but pity, scorn or bullying [11] from others for the same reasons.

The term "dag" can be a compliment from one dag to another. [12]

Dags are seen as enjoying activities regardless of their appearances to others. An example may be that teenage and adult dags may skip down the street or sing in the street just because it's fun regardless of the social consequences. [10]

An eccentric character portrayed by Abbey Lee Kershaw in the Australian science-fiction film Mad Max: Fury Road is named The Dag.

Other media personalities have fitted the dag archetype by nature more than role. Environmentalist and TV personality Steve Irwin and comedian Spike Milligan, when he was resident in Australia, have all displayed the idiosyncrasies commonly associated with affable dags. [5]

The embarrassing nature of dag demeanor makes them disliked by some and loved by others for the same reasons. When Steve Irwin died, some Australians spoke of him as an embarrassing reflection on Australian culture whilst other Australians stood up for him as a lovable dag and particularly his overseas audience, celebrated his naturalness and affable nature. [13]

The cultural confusion between the dag and bogan archetypes in the media is exemplified by the 1998 film, Dags , [14] which whilst incorporating a few features of archetypal dag clothing style for the men such as long socks, Hawaiian shirts and sandals, has the women in tank tops and hot pants quite unassociated with the dag archetype, and throughout the film portrays typical bogan archetypes of slovenliness, substance abuse, and indiscriminate sex.

Related Research Articles

A nerd is a person seen as overly intellectual, obsessive, introverted or lacking social skills. Such a person may spend inordinate amounts of time on unpopular, little known, or non-mainstream activities, which are generally either highly technical, abstract, or relating to topics of science fiction or fantasy, to the exclusion of more mainstream activities. Additionally, many so-called nerds are described as being shy, quirky, pedantic, and unattractive.

A dysphemism is an expression with connotations that are derogatory either about the subject matter or to the audience. Dysphemisms contrast with neutral or euphemistic expressions. Dysphemism may be motivated by fear, distaste, hatred, contempt, or humour.

This is a list of British words not widely used in the United States. In Canada, New Zealand, India, South Africa, and Australia, some of the British terms listed are used, although another usage is often preferred.

Dag, or variant forms, may refer to:

Slut is an English-language term for a person, usually a woman or girl, who is considered to have loose sexual morals or who is sexually promiscuous. It is usually used as an insult, sexual slur or offensive term of disparagement. It originally meant "a dirty, slovenly woman", and is rarely used to refer to men, generally requiring clarification by use of the terms male slut or man whore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Croydon facelift</span> Type of hairstyle

In English slang, a Croydon facelift is a particular hairstyle worn by some women. The hair is pulled back tightly and tied in a bun or ponytail at the back. The supposed result is that the skin of the forehead and face are pulled up and back, producing the effects of a facelift.

"Anorak" is a British slang term which refers to a person who has a very strong interest, perhaps obsessive, in niche subjects. This interest may be unacknowledged or not understood by the general public. The term is sometimes used synonymously with "geek" or "nerd", the Spanish term "friki", or the Japanese term "otaku", albeit referring to different niches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bogan</span> Unrefined or unsophisticated person (Australian and New Zealand slang)

Bogan is Australian and New Zealand slang for a person whose speech, clothing, attitude and behaviour are considered unrefined or unsophisticated. Depending on the context, the term can be pejorative or self-deprecating. The prevalence of the term bogan has also been associated with changing social attitudes towards social class in Australia.

"Chav", also "charver", "scally" and "roadman" in parts of England, is a British term, usually used in a pejorative way. The term is used to describe an anti-social lower-class youth dressed in sportswear. "Chavette" is a related term referring to female chavs, and the adjectives "chavvy", "chavvish", and "chavtastic" are used to describe things associated with chavs, such as fashion, slang, etc. In other countries like Ireland, "Skanger" is used in a similar manner. In Canada, in the province of Ontario, the term is "hoodman", an equivalent of the term "roadman" used in England. In the province of Newfoundland, "skeet" is used in a similar way, while in Australia, "eshay" or "adlay" is used.

Australian English is a major variety of the English language spoken throughout Australia. Most of the vocabulary of Australian English is shared with British English, though there are notable differences. The vocabulary of Australia is drawn from many sources, including various dialects of British English as well as Gaelic languages, some Indigenous Australian languages, and Polynesian languages.

Ah Beng is a pejorative term applied to describe an anti-social lower-class youth in Singapore who displays common characteristics such as having dyed hair, wearing loud fashion, playing loud music in public and being less educated. The female equivalent of an Ah Beng is an Ah Lian.

Naco is a pejorative word often used in Mexican Spanish that may be translated into English as "low-class", "uncultured", "vulgar" or "uncivilized ".

Trash talk is a form of insult usually found in sports events, although it is not exclusive to sports or similarly characterized events. It is often used to intimidate the opposition and/or make them less confident in their abilities as to win easier, but it can also be used in a humorous spirit. Trash-talk is often characterized by use of hyperbole or figurative language, such as "Your team can't run! You run like honey on ice!" Puns and other wordplay are commonly used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geek</span> Expert or enthusiast obsessed with a hobby or intellectual pursuit

The word geek is a slang term originally used to describe eccentric or non-mainstream people; in current use, the word typically connotes an expert or enthusiast obsessed with a hobby or intellectual pursuit. In the past, it had a generally pejorative meaning of a "peculiar person, especially one who is perceived to be overly intellectual, unfashionable, boring, or socially awkward". In the 21st century, it was reclaimed and used by many people, especially members of some fandoms, as a positive term.

British slang is English-language slang originating from and used in the United Kingdom and also used to a limited extent in Anglophone countries such as Ireland, South Africa, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, especially by British expatriates. It is also used in the United States to a limited extent. Slang is informal language sometimes peculiar to a particular social class or group and its use in Britain dates back to before the 15th century. The language of slang, in common with the English language, is changing all the time; new words and phrases are being added and some are used so frequently by so many, they almost become mainstream.

Jonathon Green is an English lexicographer of slang and writer on the history of alternative cultures. Jonathon Green is often referred to as the English-speaking world's leading lexicographer of slang, and has even been described as "the most acclaimed British lexicographer since Johnson".

Bloke is a slang term for a common man in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Geek rock is a musical subgenre derived from pop rock and alternative rock within the nerd music group. It is a sister genre to the chiptune-influenced rock subgenre Nintendocore and related to other branches of nerd music such as hip hop's nerdcore and contemporary folk's nerd-folk. Geek rock is characterised by the standard instruments of rock music often combined with electronic and unusual instruments; references to geek culture and specialised, yet often mundane, interests; and an element of humour. Specific subgenres of geek rock range from those related to elements of geek culture, such as the Harry Potter–based wizard rock, and those related to elements of rock music, such as the punk rock variant called nerd punk.

Prick is a vulgar word for penis as well as a pejorative term used to refer to a despicable or contemptible individual. It is generally considered offensive, though in the past it has been used as a term of endearment. Its history as a euphemism for penis goes back to the 1500s and has been used in wordplay by Shakespeare and other writers who have combined the vulgarism with the standard meaning of the noun, which means the act of piercing or puncturing. Most linguists believe it has only been used as a direct insult since 1929.

Nerd sniping is a slang term for the action of giving an interesting problem to a person.

References

  1. ↑ daggy, daggier, daggiest- WordWeb dictionary definition
  2. ↑ Dag as an affectionate insult http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/austn-slang Archived 2017-08-19 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ↑ Gorman, Alyx (15 March 2020). "A daggy delight: 'Nothing touches the Children's Birthday Cake Book'". The Guardian . Australia. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  4. ↑ Culture soup – why Dags aren't Bogans. | Donna Williams' Blog
  5. 1 2 Dictionary & Thesaurus – YourDictionary
  6. 1 2 3 Tail of a Dag
  7. ↑ Dag@Everything2.com
  8. ↑ See Nerd.
  9. ↑ See Bogan.
  10. 1 2 3 "daggy definition - Dictionary - MSN Encarta". Archived from the original on 2009-11-17.
  11. ↑ bullying with reference to dags http://www.bullyingnoway.com.au/ws/useful-other.shtml
  12. ↑ "Australian slang - Australia's Culture Portal". Archived from the original on 2007-05-30. Retrieved 2007-05-26.
  13. ↑ American Chronicle | Steve Irwin: US icon, Australian, environmentalist, Mensch
  14. ↑ Dags (1998)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.