Page:Dictionary of Slang, Jargon & Cant (1889) by Barrere & Leland.djvu/94

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Bagged — Bags.

A London thief who steals luggage off carriages or cabs by climbing up behind, is termed a " dragsman."

Bagged (American thieves), im- prisoned, " scooped in," i.e., taken in, victimised.

Bagging (northern counties), used of food between meals ; in Lan- cashire especially, an afternoon meal, i.e., what is taken about in a bag. See Carpet Bag- ging.

Lancashire adopts the whole-board or partial-board system very extensively. The local term of bagging' implies bread and cheese, or pies ; and there are all the varieties of board and lodging, dinner of potatoes and bacon with butter-milk, bagging in the forenoon and afternoon, dinner and lunch, and rations allowed for women. — Chambers's Journal.

Bagging or jockeying the over (cricketers), the practice of bats- men who manage their running in such a manner as to get all the bowling to themselves.

Bagman (general), a commercial traveller. A name formerly given to commercial travellers from their travelling on horse- back and carrying their samples or wares in saddle-bags ; now used only in a somewhat con- temptuous manner.

The late lord came to London with four post-chaises and sixteen horses. The pre- sent lord travels with five bagmen in a railway carriage. — IV. M. Thackeray : Pendennis.

Bagnio (old), a bawdy house.

Bag of nails (American), the same as hurrah's nest or whore's nest. Everything in confusion, and topsyturvy. The sign of the Bag of Nails in England has been said by inventive and imaginative etymologists to be derived from " the Baccha- nals."

" I may bid as high as your pintle, and make you squint like a bag of nails," replied the intruder, " though you rub us to whit for it." — On the Trail.

Bags (general), trousers. The synonyms are " kicks," " sit upons," "hams." Sometimes rudely called " bumbags."

Then the throng begins to yell, But I scatters 'em pell-mell, Be their clothing manly bags or female skirts ; With my staff I goes for all, Both the big 'uns and the small. For I'm bound to give sich rabble their "deserts."

— Funny Folks.

"But, hollo!" he cried, as he caught sight of his legs. "Parsons don't wear tight tweed bags." . . . Jack had to un- pack his portmanteau, and get out his even- ing inexpressibles. — Chambers's Journal.

When the pattern of the bags is very staring they are called " howling bags." The synonyms "unmentionables" and "inex- pressibles," though generally used jocosely, must have been coined by people with indecent imaginations who think more of the contents than the container, and who would cover with petti- coats the nakedness of statues or incase the legs of pianos in "inexpressibles." It may, how- ever, have been invented by