# Bagging or ragging on someone? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 16, 2000, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bagging-or-ragging-on-someone/37169 "2000-10-16T20:29:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2000, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bagging-or-ragging-on-someone/37169/1 "2000-10-16T20:29:14Z")
Seems people in these parts (California) say _bagging_ on someone, i.e., subjecting them to criticism which may or may not be deserved. But I also seem to remember hearing the phrase _ragging_on someone, meaning the same thing. I think this was a long time ago, and _ragging_ has now given way to _bagging_. Anyone know the etymology of this colloquialism? ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2000, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bagging-or-ragging-on-someone/37169/2 "2000-10-16T21:18:09Z")
I thought “bagging” was to not show up for something that you said you would be at, or to cancel at the last minute - e.g., your friend was supposed to meet you at the party, but he “bagged” on you, so you were stuck there alone. Ragging on someone is how you described it in your OP. At least, that’s how I’ve always heard these words used. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2000, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bagging-or-ragging-on-someone/37169/3 "2000-10-17T15:00:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by missbunny \* > \*\*I thought “bagging” was to not show up for something that you said you would be at, or to cancel at the last minute - e.g., your friend was supposed to meet you at the party, but he “bagged” on you, so you were stuck there alone. > > Ragging on someone is how you described it in your OP. At least, that’s how I’ve always heard these words used. \*\* Must be a regional variation. Whereabouts do you live, MissBunny? ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2000, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bagging-or-ragging-on-someone/37169/4 "2000-10-17T17:09:46Z")
Where I live (Cent. NY) and where I grew up (Ohio), “ragging” on someone was giving them a hard time. “Bagging” is just capturing somthing (or someone). Jman ---
**Author:** ![Stupendous\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Stupendous\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stupendous_man)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2000, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bagging-or-ragging-on-someone/37169/5 "2000-10-17T18:14:31Z")
I have heard that the term “ragging” on someone is taken from the irrational behaviour by some women during their period, wherin due to uncontrollable hormones they are likely to be argumentative, easily annoyed, and confrontational. Since the slang for a period is to be “on the rag”, this makes sense, at least a little bit… Therefore, “raggin’ on you” means a person is acting like they have PMS, either male or female alike. My apologies if this was offensive to anyone. Stupendous Man! ---
**Author:** ![VileOrb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/9e8a1a/32.png) [@VileOrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VileOrb)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2000, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bagging-or-ragging-on-someone/37169/6 "2000-10-17T19:28:50Z")
I’ve lived in TN, MD, and MN and never heard of “bagging on someone.” Jman’s got it right. I’ve got it/him/her “in the bag.” The cute guy bagged the babe but never called her. I got a job bagging groceries. I was so proud of my niece I couldn’t help bragging on her. I screwed up so I deserved a little ragging. You get the idea. ---
**Author:** ![PonderingPaste](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a8b319/32.png) [@PonderingPaste](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PonderingPaste)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bagging-or-ragging-on-someone/37169/7 "2017-02-18T20:29:23Z")
While I have not heard that “ragging on” comes from argumentative women, the idea did occur to me, so I did an etymology search. Apparently the phrase “to rag” was in use long before the phrase “on the rag” came into usage, and it’s roots are not entirely known. The speculation I’ve found expects the verb to be some form of loanword, where the word rag sounds similar to a word or words that mean ‘to scold’ or ‘to berate’. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bagging-or-ragging-on-someone/37169/8 "2017-02-18T21:03:38Z")
In the UK, “ragging” can mean assorted pranks and high jinks among university students (as in the institution of Rag Week, which incorporates all that with some attempt at ch arity fundraising), but can also be used transitively to mean badgering, bothering, or “roasting” someone, especially when a group does it. But that still doesn’t help with the origin. Both Partridge’s Dictionary of Historical Slang and my old Shorter Oxford suggest that the latter is older (early 18th century) than the former (later 19th century). As to where it comes from, it might be from an old use of “red rag” to mean the tongue, and by extension a tongue-lashing, or just the mediaeval use of “rag” as a verb to mean tearing something to pieces. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bagging-or-ragging-on-someone/37169/9 "2017-02-18T22:16:45Z")
> [@VileOrb](#): > > I’ve lived in TN, MD, and MN and never heard of “bagging on someone.” > > Jman’s got it right. I’ve got it/him/her “in the bag.” The cute guy bagged the babe but never called her. I got a job bagging groceries. I was so proud of my niece I couldn’t help bragging on her. I screwed up so I deserved a little ragging. > > You get the idea. You can also “bag” on event, rather than a person - “I was going go see that movie last night, but I was really tired, so I bagged on it.”. Seems to me that I’ve heard that usage for years. I’ve also heard all the other usages for “bag” mentioned here, except as a synonym for “ragging”. “Bagging”, rather than “ragging” on someone IS a synonym for “bailing” on them. ---
**Author:** ![dofe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ba0ec/32.png) [@dofe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dofe)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bagging-or-ragging-on-someone/37169/10 "2017-02-18T22:45:05Z")
I used to live in Southern California and can confirm **SoP’s** claim as to the usage of the word “bagging” in that part of the country. I never really thought about the etymology behind the usage but I’m now interested. ---
**Author:** ![DudeManBro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@DudeManBro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DudeManBro)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bagging-or-ragging-on-someone/37169/11 "2017-02-18T23:25:35Z")
Maybe it’s implying the act of tea-bagging? Commonly a display of affection 'round these parts… ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2017, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bagging-or-ragging-on-someone/37169/12 "2017-02-19T00:32:58Z")
Zombie-bagging would be more likely.