blag
See also: Blag and bläg
English
Etymology 1
Perhaps from French blague (“joke, tall story”), blaguer (“to joke”),[1] from Old Occitan blagar (“to chat”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /blæɡ/
Audio (UK) (file) - Rhymes: -æɡ
Verb
blag (third-person singular simple present blags, present participle blagging, simple past and past participle blagged)
- (British, Ireland, informal, transitive) To obtain (something) for free, particularly by guile or persuasion.
- Synonyms: obtain, sponge; see also Thesaurus:scrounge
- Can I blag a fag?
- 2023 January 25, Howard Johnston, “Peter Kelly: August 2 1944-December 28 2022”, in RAIL, number 975, page 46:
- He later recalled that blagging a cab ride to Warrington Dallam shed on Stanier '8F' 48531 was a life-changing experience.
- (British, Ireland, informal, specifically) To obtain confidential information by impersonation or other deception.
- Synonym: pretext
- The newspaper is accused of blagging details of Gordon Brown's flat purchase from his solicitors.
- (Polari) To pick up someone.
- (UK, Ireland, informal, 1960s) To inveigle by persuasion.
- He's blagged his way into many a party.
- (UK, Ireland, informal, 1940s) To deceive; to perpetrate a hoax on.
- (UK, Ireland, informal) To obtain something desired, or avoid an undesired outcome, through luck or improvisation; To fluke or get away with something; To wing it.
- 2022 January 7, Philip Barantini, James Cummings; Philip Barantini, director, Boiling Point, spoken by Freeman (Ray Panthaki), 12:18 from the start:
- CARLY (played by Vinette Robinson): Now we’ve got just about enough lamb? FREEMAN: No, we haven’t got enough lamb CARLY: We’ve got eno — - we’ve got enough. ANDY JONES (played by Stephen Graham): All right. I’m sorry, lad. What’s your fucking problem? FREEMAN: What’s my problem, Andy? It’s time and time a-fucking-gain. You’re not doing your job. CARLY: Freeman, Freeman. ANDY JONES: I can’t do them now, I didn’t do them last night, did I? I’m sorry, I apologise. I apologise. Have I said I’m sorry? Have I said I’m sorry? FREEMAN: We’ve blagged it. It’s fine. We’ve got a menu for tonight.
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Translations
to obtain something for free
to pick up someone — See also translations at pick up
to persuade — See also translations at persuade
to perpetrate a hoax — See also translations at perpetrate
Noun
blag (plural blags)
- (Britain, informal) A means of obtaining something by trick or deception.
- A good blag to get into a nightclub is to walk in carrying a record box.
- (Britain criminal slang) An armed robbery.
- 2014, Echo Freer, Diamond Geezers
- I know your old man's keen for you to learn the ropes an' all that, but let's not forget who's running this blag, shall we?
- 2014, Echo Freer, Diamond Geezers
Adjective
blag (comparative more blag, superlative most blag)
- (Britain, informal) Fake, not genuine.
- You’re wearing a blag designer shirt!
- Synonym: fake
Derived terms
- blagger
Translations
a means of obtaining something by deception
an armed robbery
|
fake, not genuine
Etymology 2
First attested in xkcd: "Mispronouncing".
Noun
blag (plural blags)
- (humorous) Misspelling of blog. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
Etymology 3
Tagalog blag
Interjection
blag
- (Philippines) An onomatopoeia for the sound of a falling strike. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
Further reading
- blag at The Septic's Companion: A British Slang Dictionary
References
- “blag”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
Anagrams
- Glab
Antillean Creole
Etymology
From French blague.
Noun
blag
- joke
German Low German
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /blɔːx/, /blɒːx/ (more on the merger of monophthongal A and O)
Adjective
blag
- Alternative spelling of blaag
Serbo-Croatian
Etymology
From Proto-Slavic *bolgъ.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /blâːɡ/
Adjective
blȃg (definite blȃgī, comparative blȁžī, Cyrillic spelling бла̑г)
- mild, gentle, soft
- (intensifier, colloquial) any, damn, faintest
- Nemam blage ideje o čemu pričaš!
- I don't have any idea what you're talking about.
Declension
positive indefinite forms
| singular | masculine | feminine | neuter | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | blag | blaga | blago | |
| genitive | blaga | blage | blaga | |
| dative | blagu | blagoj | blagu | |
| accusative | inanimate animate | blag blaga | blagu | blago |
| vocative | blag | blaga | blago | |
| locative | blagu | blagoj | blagu | |
| instrumental | blagim | blagom | blagim | |
| plural | masculine | feminine | neuter | |
| nominative | blagi | blage | blaga | |
| genitive | blagih | blagih | blagih | |
| dative | blagim(a) | blagim(a) | blagim(a) | |
| accusative | blage | blage | blaga | |
| vocative | blagi | blage | blaga | |
| locative | blagim(a) | blagim(a) | blagim(a) | |
| instrumental | blagim(a) | blagim(a) | blagim(a) | |
positive definite forms
| singular | masculine | feminine | neuter | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | blagi | blaga | blago | |
| genitive | blagog(a) | blage | blagog(a) | |
| dative | blagom(u/e) | blagoj | blagom(u/e) | |
| accusative | inanimate animate | blagi blagog(a) | blagu | blago |
| vocative | blagi | blaga | blago | |
| locative | blagom(e/u) | blagoj | blagom(e/u) | |
| instrumental | blagim | blagom | blagim | |
| plural | masculine | feminine | neuter | |
| nominative | blagi | blage | blaga | |
| genitive | blagih | blagih | blagih | |
| dative | blagim(a) | blagim(a) | blagim(a) | |
| accusative | blage | blage | blaga | |
| vocative | blagi | blage | blaga | |
| locative | blagim(a) | blagim(a) | blagim(a) | |
| instrumental | blagim(a) | blagim(a) | blagim(a) | |
comparative forms
| singular | masculine | feminine | neuter | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | blaži | blaža | blaže | |
| genitive | blažeg(a) | blaže | blažeg(a) | |
| dative | blažem(u) | blažoj | blažem(u) | |
| accusative | inanimate animate | blaži blažeg(a) | blažu | blaže |
| vocative | blaži | blaža | blaže | |
| locative | blažem(u) | blažoj | blažem(u) | |
| instrumental | blažim | blažom | blažim | |
| plural | masculine | feminine | neuter | |
| nominative | blaži | blaže | blaža | |
| genitive | blažih | blažih | blažih | |
| dative | blažim(a) | blažim(a) | blažim(a) | |
| accusative | blaže | blaže | blaža | |
| vocative | blaži | blaže | blaža | |
| locative | blažim(a) | blažim(a) | blažim(a) | |
| instrumental | blažim(a) | blažim(a) | blažim(a) | |
superlative forms
| singular | masculine | feminine | neuter | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | najblaži | najblaža | najblaže | |
| genitive | najblažeg(a) | najblaže | najblažeg(a) | |
| dative | najblažem(u) | najblažoj | najblažem(u) | |
| accusative | inanimate animate | najblaži najblažeg(a) | najblažu | najblaže |
| vocative | najblaži | najblaža | najblaže | |
| locative | najblažem(u) | najblažoj | najblažem(u) | |
| instrumental | najblažim | najblažom | najblažim | |
| plural | masculine | feminine | neuter | |
| nominative | najblaži | najblaže | najblaža | |
| genitive | najblažih | najblažih | najblažih | |
| dative | najblažim(a) | najblažim(a) | najblažim(a) | |
| accusative | najblaže | najblaže | najblaža | |
| vocative | najblaži | najblaže | najblaža | |
| locative | najblažim(a) | najblažim(a) | najblažim(a) | |
| instrumental | najblažim(a) | najblažim(a) | najblažim(a) | |
Derived terms
Derived terms
- Blagoje (Благоје)
- Blagojević (Благојевић, “Blagoyevich”)
Related terms
- blagost
Further reading
- “blag” in Hrvatski jezični portal
Slovene
Etymology
From Proto-Slavic *bolgъ.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /bláːk/
Adjective
blȃg (comparative blážji or blȃžji, superlative nȁjblážji or nȁjblȃžji)
- mild, gentle, soft
Further reading
- “blag”, in Slovarji Inštituta za slovenski jezik Frana Ramovša ZRC SAZU, portal Fran