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Breaking Down Ragtag
Tag and rag was a relatively common expression in the 16th and 17th centuries, and it was often used pejoratively to refer to members of the lower classes of society. By the 18th century, the phrase had been expanded to ragtag and bobtail. That expression could mean either "the lower classes" or "the entire lot of something" (as opposed to just the more desirable parts—the entire unit of an army, for example, not just its more capable soldiers). Something described as ragtag and bobtail, then, was usually common and unspectacular. Ragtag and bobtail was eventually shortened to ragtag, the adjective we know today, which can describe an odd mixture that is often hastily assembled or second-rate.
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Examples of ragtag in a Sentence
Keith Langston, People.com, 26 Oct. 2024
The series’ hero, Jack Pembroke, who was mentally and physically wounded by defeat in Dunkirk, needs to rally in order to lead a ragtag team of South Africans.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 20 Oct. 2024
Based on Spook Street, the fourth book in Herron's Slough House series, the team of ragtag spies, once again led by Gary Oldman's Jackson Lamb, investigates a bombing.
—Simon Thompson, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024
Long-term, Harris wants to build a new stadium to replace the ragtag 27-year-old structure.
—Hank Tucker, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Ragtag.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ragtag. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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ragtag
adjective
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