1881. Pascoe, Everyday Life in our Public Schools. Every morning
the lag junior prepares and brings to hall the list.
7. (American theatrical).—1. A dialogue or scene of extra length; also
(2) a wait.
1847. Darley, Drama in Pokerville, 112. A lag on the stage was
immediately made up for by the pop of a cork.
Verb. (thieves’).—1. To transport; to send to penal servitude. Lagged =
(1) sentenced; and (2) imprisoned. Fr. aller à la grotto = to lump the
lighter (q.v.): also se laver les haricots.
1819. Moore, Tom Crib, p. 78. A relative of poor Crockey, who was
lagged some time since.
1811. Lex. Bal., s.v. Lag, The cove was lagged for a drag.
1824. Scott, St. Ronan’s Well, ch. xxxi. ‘I should not much like to
have him lagged for forgery.’
1830. Lytton, Paul Clifford, p. 13. Ranting Rob, poor fellow, was
lagged for doing a panny.
1838. Dickens, Oliver Twist, ch. xliii. ‘What do you mean by
lagging and a lifer,’ demanded Mr. Bolter.... Being interpreted,
Mr. Bolter would have been informed that they represented that
combination of words, ‘Transportation for life.’
1843. Moncrieff, Scamps of London, ii. 3. He was three times
lagged.
1843. Punch, iv. p. 129. They say that a lord and a reverend were
lagged the other day.
1853. Diogenes, ii. 54. Sad work when at last I was lagged.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v.
1869. Daily News, 29 July. He should then be lagged for another
job.
1872. Times, 2 Oct. ‘Report of Middlesex Sessions.’ He had expected
to be lagged for a pocket handkerchief.
1877. Five Years’ Penal Servitude, iii. 93. A Welshman convicted or
lagged for passing ‘shise coin’—bad money.
1879. Macmillan’s Mag., xl. 503. I should have got lagged and my
pal too.
1887. Baumann, A Slang Ditty. Rum coves that relieve us of
‘chinkers’ and pieces, Is gin’rally lagged, Or, wuss luck, they
gits scragged.
1880. Sims, How the Poor Live, p. 18. A day or two after Bill
returns alone; the girl asks him where her sweetheart is. ‘He’s
lagged,’ says Bill. But the girl has a bit of newspaper, and in it
she reads that ‘the body of a man has been found in some woods near
London;’ and she has an idea it may be John.