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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
Alexis Simmerman, Austin American-Statesman, 12 Dec. 2024
Over time, ragtag opposition groups were bolstered by rebel brigades and then foreign patrons, some sent by Iran, into the fray.
—Josh Meyer, USA TODAY, 9 Dec. 2024
In this fresh retelling of the King Arthur tale, the Knights of the Round Table are ragtag oddballs.
—Rachel Flynn, People.com, 3 Dec. 2024
In breathtaking sequences, Moana, Maui and a new ragtag crew that includes the spacey chicken Heihei (Alan Tudyk), encounter imposing waves and mysterious creatures that remind viewers why 95 percent of the ocean remains unexplored.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Ragtag.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ragtag. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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ragtag
adjective
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