shag
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ʃæɡ/
rhymes: -æɡ
Forms: form: shags
Etymology: From Middle English schaggen, a variant of Middle English schoggen (“to shake; shake off; tremble”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps a byform of Middle English schokken (“to shake; move rapidly”), related to Middle Low German schokken (“to shake; tremble”). Alternatively, perhaps ultimately from Proto-Germanic *skakkōną (“to shake”), specifically continuing a post-Proto-Germanic variant *skagg-, where the non-singular stem *skag- caused the analogical replacement of the stem-final voiceless geminate consonants with voiced geminates, which was then leveled throughout the paradigm.
Senses: examples: text: Its evolutionary course is unclear; however, by the late thirties, Shag was all the rage both on and off college campuses. It became so popular, in fact, that a 1937 New York Times article describes it as “the fundamental dance step for swing.”
ref: 2011, Tamara Stevens, Erin Stevens, editors, Swing Dancing, ABC-CLIO, →ISBN, page 120:
topics: dance
dancing
hobbies
lifestyle
sports
glosses: A swing dance.
examples: text: They were in the midst of an intense snog, his tongue down her throat as he tried to work out if he wanted another shag before she left for the night, when an odd noise sounded from behind the door of 2B.
ref: 2007, Julie Andrews, “Roman Must Die”, in The Leonard Variations: Clarion 2007 San Diego, →ISBN, page 10:
text: “And feel free to come over anytime you'd like a drink and a shag. […]
ref: 2010, Clara Darling, Hot City Nights, St. Martin's Press, published 2010, →ISBN, page 107:
text: He could say yes, then just quietly leave the area without ever seeing the man again. He could even get a shag out of Charles first.
ref: 2011, Josephine Myles, Barging In, Samhain Publishing, Ltd., published 2011, →ISBN, page 24:
text: The blackbirds and robins and and^([sic]) tits and finches shout at each other, chups and warbles and chirrups that, loosely translated, mean “Fancy a shag?”, “Get OFF my land” or “I’ve got a great big tonker.”
ref: 2015 April 16, Richard P. Grant, “Sex and the successful fundraiser”, in The Guardian:
text: I’m not interested in having a tired, throwaway midweek shag. Having sex once a week means I can give it my full attention and energy.
ref: 2023 May 13, Kitty Drake, “This is how we do it: ‘A tired, throwaway midweek shag doesn’t interest me’”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
synonyms: word: aphrodisia
word: carnal knowledge
word: coitus
word: coition
word: commerce
word: commixtion
word: congress
word: conjunction
word: connection
word: consummation
word: conversation
word: copulation
word: coupling
word: intercourse
word: intimacy
word: intimate relations
word: intromission
word: joining
word: lovemaking
word: lustmaking
word: marital embrace
word: mating
word: mounting
raw_tags: for animals
word: pareunia
word: penetration
word: relations
word: sex
word: sexual congress
word: sexual intercourse
word: sexual relation
word: sexual union
word: swiving
word: union
word: the beast with two backs
word: the birds and the bees
word: boom-boom
word: chesterfield rugby
word: horizontal dancing
word: horizontal hula
word: horizontal jogging
word: horizontal mambo
word: horizontal refreshments
word: how's your father
word: love
word: Netflix and chill
word: physical love
word: roll in the hay
word: Ugandan affairs
word: Ugandan discussions
word: action
word: ass
word: bang
word: barney-mugging
word: beef injection
word: bonking
word: cuntfuck
word: fucking
word: frig
word: fucky-fucky
word: hot beef injection
word: hump
word: humpa humpa
word: jig-jig
word: jiggy-jiggy
word: lay
word: legover
word: meat injection
word: nookie
word: old hat
word: pipe
word: plow
word: plough
word: poon
word: poontang
word: punani
word: pussy
word: ride
word: root
word: rumpo
word: rumpy-pumpy
word: seeing-to
word: sexy time
word: sexy times
word: screw
word: screwing
word: shag
word: skin
word: snu snu
word: tang
word: trim
word: hanky-panky
word: funny business
word: making whoopee
word: jiggery-pokery
word: monkey business
word: fooling about
word: fooling around
word: playing around
glosses: An act of sex.
examples: text: Lizzy is a shag extraordinaire, but has a tongue like a sailor and a castrating stare.
ref: 1994 [1993], Irvine Welsh, “Cock Problems”, in Trainspotting, London: Minerva, →ISBN, page 87:
text: 'It turned out that it was me who was just a shag to him. He had a girlfriend I didn't know about. He presumed I was up for some no-strings action. And the thing is, I thought I was – in theory. But in practice, I realized that I wasn't.'
ref: 2003, Freya North, Pip, Harper, published 2003, →ISBN:
text: "Was I just another shag to you, Trace? Someone to bed when the offer came?"
ref: 2008, Bruce Cooke, Trace Elements, Eternal Press, published 2008, →ISBN, page 56:
text: 'Your favourite shag?' I ask her.
'Martin Kershen.'
'He was a sexy beast.'
ref: 2011, Wes Lee, “Saul”, in Zoe Dattner, Louise Swinn, editors, The Sleepers Almanac, No. 7, Sleepers Publishing, →ISBN, page 135:
glosses: A casual sexual partner.
Derived terms: shag band
shag bandit
shag-hound
shag monster
shag wagon
strat shag