# Wag?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wag/291798>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [February 25, 2005, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wag/291798 "2005-02-25T01:51:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Strinka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strinka/32/512_2.png) [@Strinka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strinka)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wag/291798/1 "2005-02-25T01:51:06Z")

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What is a WAG?

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**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wag/291798/2 "2005-02-25T01:53:50Z")

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Wild-ass guess.

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**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wag/291798/3 "2005-02-25T02:54:09Z")

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And a SWAG is a Scientific Wild-Assed Guess (a WAG actually based on some professional knowledge or experience.)

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**Author:** ![j\_sum1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8baadc/32.png) [@j\_sum1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j_sum1)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wag/291798/4 "2005-02-25T04:54:59Z")

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The underlined link made this look like “Waq”

Why ask the question?

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**Author:** ![Bill\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@Bill\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_H)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wag/291798/5 "2005-02-25T05:22:02Z")

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I always thought a SWAG was a silly wild-assed guess

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**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wag/291798/6 "2005-02-25T16:31:07Z")

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I’ve also seen it used as “wager a guess”.

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**Author:** ![ageless6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@ageless6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ageless6)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wag/291798/7 "2005-02-26T09:20:15Z")

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[here](http://www.newsnet5.com/news/4231829/detail.html?treets=nn5&tml=nn5_4pm&ts=T&tmi=nn5_4pm&ts...)

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**Author:** ![ageless6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@ageless6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ageless6)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wag/291798/8 "2005-02-26T09:26:09Z")

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> [@ageless6](#):
>
> [here](http://www.newsnet5.com/news/4231829/detail.html?treets=nn5&tml=nn5_4pm&ts=T&tmi=nn5_4pm&ts...)

Sorry, just testing something: just a Wild Arse Guess. I guess that makes it semi-legal.

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**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wag/291798/9 "2005-02-26T15:14:28Z")

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> [@Bill H.](#):
>
> I always thought a SWAG was a silly wild-assed guess

Not when I do it. 🙂