Boys were once called wags. Older boys were also called wags.
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They were also called a fellow, or a chap.
My big dictionary calls a wag a mischievous boy, or a youth, a young man, a fellow or chap.
It adds that often mothers would call their baby boy a wag “as a term of endearment”.
Ivor Brown, in his book of words, said that when Shakespearean characters called each other good wag, they were not necessarily implying that the youngster was an intending comedian.
Shakespeare had a go at it. For instance, in Henry IV, he said: “But I prythee sweet Wag, shall there by Gallows standing in England when thou art King.”
My big dictionary says wag may have been a shortening of waghalter, but it may have originated in other ways.
My big dictionary says “left hanging”.
John Ayto suggests someone destined for the gallows might be a wag also, left hanging, so to speak..
Craig Carver says scalawag (I am used to spelling it as scallywag) was a preindustrial Scottish farm labourer probably under the influence of wag, a witty person.
John Ayto and Adrian Room suggest it may describe a person about to be hanged.
I can’t suggest it means other than a person left hanging. Readers Digest says it means a person at the end of a rope, moving up and down and some left and right. I will leave it for others to describe how a person dies at the end of a rope.
The 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, compiled by Captain Grose, describes wag as “an arch frolicksome fellow”. The best I could come up with so far as arch is concerned was “a feminine curve”.
Wikipedia says wag is an acronym used to refer to wives and girlfriends of high-profile professional athletes.
When it was announced in 2007 that David Beckham would be joining the American club Los Angeles Galaxy, the Mail on Sunday referred to the "LA WAGs whose husbands earn less in 10 years than Beckham in one week".
Over the years, the wag diminished and the boy took over. Wag increasingly meant comedian, or at least one who moved from side to side or from top to bottom.
I have come across at least 25 names for the letters wag. I wish I could tell you.
Many dog walkers have described their businesses as wag. Some have even named their businesses as wag.
Macquarie says wag means to move from side to side or up and down, or silly person
Webster says wag means a frolicksome fellow or some one fitted for the rope, a joker a gossip or a fellow who is full of mischievous humour. Collins says wag is to move from side to side, such as a happy dog. Heinemann says wag means a person who teases or plays jokes.
The modern version of wag is a person, of any age, who likes to tell jokes.
But it can also mean one who wags school, a merry droll, to be in danger of felling, to vacillate.
But so far as I am concerned it means, in modern parlance, to shake or nudge.
Even if you did wag school occasionally.
lauriebarber.com; lbword@midcoast.com.au
