# Teen slang, "Dragging" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 14, 2004, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-slang-dragging/279746 "2004-12-14T06:01:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-slang-dragging/279746/1 "2004-12-14T06:01:08Z")
I came across a note my young teen daughter wrote to a friend, and as I read it, I realized she would not be happy to know I saw it, so I hesitate to ask her to translate it for me. In it, she says, “\_\_\_, my boyfriend, is the first one I ever dragged with.” She’s pretty anti-pot, although she is exposed to it. But I don’t think that’s what she means. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-slang-dragging/279746/2 "2004-12-14T06:19:00Z")
On a quick Google search, I wasn’t able to find any sources where smoking pot with another was called “dragged with” them. Most common slang for this would be “toked up with” another. That “dragged with” doesn’t seem common lingo to mean smoking pot with someone, I shouldn’t think that you should presume this is what this note meant. The term may be local teen slang for something other than smoking pot. ---
**Author:** ![tadc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f07891/32.png) [@tadc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tadc)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-slang-dragging/279746/3 "2004-12-14T06:27:57Z")
WAG - To dress up in the clothes of the opposite gender, or… to inhale (take a drag) from a cigarette. As the previous poster mentioned, you take a “drag” from a cig, but you “toke” or “hit” a joint. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-slang-dragging/279746/4 "2004-12-14T06:37:09Z")
Hmmm…I’ve checked the _Dictionary of American Slang_, and most of the entries for “Dragging” predate the second world war. And most of them were about a) Smoking, b) drag racing, or c) crossdressing. Though one entry was “n _Police_ A roll of money, purse, etc, used to lure the victim in a confidence game.” So, in other words, unless your daughter is a 1930s grifter, I’ve been of no help whatsoever. (Sorry) ☹ ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-slang-dragging/279746/5 "2004-12-14T06:46:46Z")
Is it possible that your teen is experimenting with tobacco with her boyfriend? Or, is it possible that she is experimenting with marijuana, and is young enough and new enough that she doesn’t appreciate that terminology differs as between tobacco and marijuana? For what it’s worth, [urbandictionary.com](http://urbandictionary.com) does offer a couple of definitions which refer to marijuana. ---
**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-slang-dragging/279746/6 "2004-12-14T06:48:54Z")
Drag racing had occurred to me. Is it possible your daughter was in a car with a boyfriend who was racing with someone else? I just searched the Google Usenet archives for alt.drugs.pot. I didn’t see any posts where “drag”, “dragged”, “dragging” was used to mean “smoking pot”. I strongly suspect this wasn’t a marijuana reference. BTW, I happen to be a Usenet regular in the recreational drug newsgroups, and read various web based bulletin boards frequented by druggies. I can’t think of ever reading someone commenting about taking a drag from a joint. Of anyone posting here, I would be the one most likely to know drug slang for smoking pot. ---
**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-slang-dragging/279746/7 "2004-12-14T06:57:20Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > Is it possible that your teen is experimenting with tobacco with her boyfriend? > > Or, is it possible that she is experimenting with marijuana, and is young enough and new enough that she doesn’t appreciate that terminology differs as between tobacco and marijuana? I’d tend to think the former is more likely than the latter. The problem is if she thought the terminology was the same for tobacco and marijuana, then she would have realized that “…my boyfriend, is the first one I ever dragged with” would be ambiguous to the person she wrote the note to. IOW, if she meant pot she would have wrote “…my boyfriend, is the first one I ever dragged pot with”. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-slang-dragging/279746/8 "2004-12-14T07:03:58Z")
Sometimes people will drop the objects of prepositions at the ends of sentences. Is it possible that the dangling participle, “with” is being misread? Perhaps “dragged with” means “bought along” as in she went somewhere and this is the first boy “I ever dragged with [me]” I’ve heard people say stuff like. “I’m going to the store, do you want to go with?” I think there’s a possibility that this is just sloppy teen shorthand. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-slang-dragging/279746/9 "2004-12-14T07:05:08Z")
dangling preposition, not participle. I DO know the difference, :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-slang-dragging/279746/10 "2004-12-14T07:09:37Z")
Out of context it’s pretty confusing. I’ve never heard someone talk of “dragging with.” Then again I’m 21 and have realized that I’m getting more and more “out of it” when it comes to the affairs of teenagers. “Wha? Hey! Turn that music down!” ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-slang-dragging/279746/11 "2004-12-14T07:09:47Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > I think there’s a possibility that this is just sloppy teen shorthand. On the other hand, the note could be written in sloppy teen cursive; in which the letters ‘u’ and ‘a’ are difficult to distinguish. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-slang-dragging/279746/12 "2004-12-14T07:19:06Z")
I’ve never heard anybody ever say “drugging with” and I’ve heard a _lot_ of drug slang. ---
**Author:** ![Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9dc877/32.png) [@Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightwatch_Trailer)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-slang-dragging/279746/13 "2004-12-14T07:43:21Z")
> [@rfgdxm](#): > > Drag racing had occurred to me. Is it possible your daughter was in a car with a boyfriend who was racing with someone else? This is what I thought of when I read the OP. I’m a teen myself and I can’t really think of a time I heard that term used in a different way. But then, I’m not the most slang-savvy of people, so make of that what you will. ---
**Author:** ![ridealong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac91a4/32.png) [@ridealong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ridealong)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-slang-dragging/279746/14 "2004-12-14T08:07:54Z")
> [@](#): > > “\_\_\_, my boyfriend, is the first one I ever dragged with.” What’s the context of the phrase? Does it sound like this is a good thing, a bad thing or an inconsequential thing? Does “the first one” mean that she’s subsequently done it (whatever it is) with other people? Is she trying to impress her friend, or asking for advice about a problem, or just reporting the events of her day? Does the boyfriend have a hot car? What’s local youth culture like? Do kids get in their cars to cruise the main “drag” just to see and be seen? Does it sound like she wants a particular response from the person the letter was intended for? If it’s really important, whatever it is, she probably wouldn’t just toss it in parenthetically. And if you really need to find out, chances are that the teachers in her school, at least the younger hipper ones, can serve as interpreters. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-slang-dragging/279746/15 "2004-12-14T09:23:57Z")
I’m picturing the two smoking in their souped up cars racing late at night in each other’s clothes. Oh, yeah, there are cinder blocks trailing along tied to the cars. Doesn’t sound like much fun, what a drag. ---
**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-slang-dragging/279746/16 "2004-12-14T14:22:26Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > Sometimes people will drop the objects of prepositions at the ends of sentences. Is it possible that the dangling participle, “with” is being misread? Perhaps “dragged with” means “bought along” as in she went somewhere and this is the first boy “I ever dragged with [me]” > > I’ve heard people say stuff like. “I’m going to the store, do you want to go with?” > I think there’s a possibility that this is just sloppy teen shorthand. Another possibility. Context here would be relevant. Does the note mention her going somewhere with the boy? Usually dating is initiated by the boy; and if she was the one who “dragged” the boy along with her where she was going she might see this as noteworthy. ---
**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-slang-dragging/279746/17 "2004-12-14T14:34:25Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > I’ve never heard anybody ever say “drugging with” and I’ve heard a _lot_ of drug slang. I just checked the Usenet archives. In the _drugs_ newsgroups, I couldn’t find a single instance of voluntarily taking drugs with another being referred to a “drugged with” that person. Sometimes people “drug” other people; however if it is voluntary it would be “did drugs with”. ---
**Author:** ![G.B.H.Hornswoggler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c67d28/32.png) [@G.B.H.Hornswoggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G.B.H.Hornswoggler)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-slang-dragging/279746/18 "2004-12-14T15:05:19Z")
I don’t have any specific knowledge to add, but I did want to point out that there is one human activity that continuously and copiously generates new verbs, nouns and adjectives to describe it, often in very allusive or seemingly-unconnected language. And that activity, of course, is sex. We don’t know the context (is this a longer note? what was she writing about before this sentence?), but is is possible that she’s saying this guy is the first one she slept with? The other so-far-unmentioned possibility, also depending on context, would be if she had been talking about some sort of activity (probably mildly “girly,” like shopping for blouses or seeing a band boys wouldn’t think is cool), then she meant that this guy is the first one that she took to do this thing (whatever it is) with her. That is, she hadn’t taken previous friends/boyfriends to do whatever with her, but this one she did “drag with” her to do it. (The latter would be about the most innocent possibility, so I hope it’s true.) ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-slang-dragging/279746/19 "2004-12-14T15:07:35Z")
In the town where I work, a local section of roadway is known by teenagers as “the drag” because they cruise up and down it all night in their cars, meeting their buddies and showing off. Might something similar be happening here? ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-slang-dragging/279746/20 "2004-12-14T15:26:58Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > I’ve never heard anybody ever say “drugging with” and I’ve heard a _lot_ of drug slang. I remember an interview with British musician people Peter Gabriel and he used the term in the sense of “using drugs”. This is not the exact quote but it went something like “back in 1974 there was a lot of drugging going on”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-slang-dragging/279746.md?page=2)