Calling someone, "Shag"

My Dad once told me that when he was in the British Army in the mid-forties, everyone called each other, “Shag” but nobody knew why.

When I was gainfully employed, everyone in my particular department referred to everyone else as, “Shag”, but nobody ever knew why. No other department did this.

“Morning Shag”, “Hello Shag,” “See you tomorrow Shag.”

If you walked in to a room and called out, “Shag,” the person you wanted would always respond.

I enjoy reading and once read a book by an ex-police officer who rose through the ranks to become an Inspector. In the book he said that everyone at the cop shop called each other, “Shag” but nobody knew why.

Could it be they smoked pipes and liked old shag tobacco ?
It’s not a word that really acceptable today for other connotations :shushing_face:

2 Likes

Well, most of my former colleagues are all dried up and wrinkly like tobacco leaves, so you could be onto something there.

There is also a dance called The Shag, but it’s not derived from that.

Hi

It is a regional thing.

Love or Flower is very common in some areas.

Flower has an entirely different meaning in some parts of South Wales.

1 Like

I’ve never heard the word used in a greeting context but, apparently, such use is known:

Noun
shag (plural shags)

(West Country) Friend; mate; buddy.

‘shag’ means ‘friend, buddy’ etc.

Calling someone “shag” is a term of endearment, usually used from one bloke to another

1 Like

Hi

20 miles from here you will be called Duck or myduck.

1 Like

Think I’ll stick with " mate" “buddy” " fella" etc
Just to be on the safe side :wink:

1 Like

back in the 60s my big brother used to call his best mate “Shag Nasty”. :icon_eek:

1 Like

Such use may have it’s origin from here:

Adopted for:

shag-nasty: (slang) particularly nasty or disgusting.

shagnasty definition: (dialect) a vile person

2 Likes

Yes we’re from the West Country, I remember “Shag” being use, I guess “Shagnasty” was just an elaboration …

1 Like

Google says

West Country band Shag Connors & The Carrot Crunchers are Gloucestershire’s answer to The Wurzels; a humorous and fondly remembered band led by the inimitable and sadly missed Shag Connors. The band is still doing the business in the capable hands of Shag’s son Mart, as Mart Connors & The Carrot Crunchers.

Mick was Shags real name.

1 Like

A shag has different meanings, to some it is a bird, to some a type of carpet and to others just a distant memory.

4 Likes

Shag is still used as a friendly name for someone in Manchester

1 Like

Spend more time Shagged than Shagging, sad state of affairs.

2 Likes

If somebody calls me shag I call them shagger. A typical exchange would be “Alright Shag? Aye up shagger”

1 Like

It wasn’t me.

1 Like

:joy::joy::joy::joy::joy:

1 Like

I used that before Shaggy did, changed the course of my life, sorry for the casualties :icon_sad:

2 Likes

Thanks for all the replies. It seems that it is more common than I thought.

Cheers Shags, Shaggettes, and Shaglets.

1 Like

whatcha cock

1 Like