Also 6–7 wagg(e. [Prob. f. WAG v.
Possibly (as suggested by Wedgwood) a shortening of WAGHALTER, applied playfully to a child or to a joker. But it may have originated from the verb in other ways.]
† 1. A mischievous boy (often as a mother’s term of endearment to a baby boy); in wider application, a youth, young man, a ‘fellow,’ ‘chap.’ Obs.
a. 1553. Udall, Royster D., II. iv. (Arb.), 38. I will rather haue my cote twentie times swinged, Than on the naughtie wag not to be auenged.
1573–80. Tusser, Husb. (1878), 177. For euerie trifle leaue ianting thy nag, but rather make lackey of Jack boie thy wag.
1584. Lyly, Sappho, V. ii. 55. [Venus says to Cupid:] Vnhappy wag, what hast thou done?
1589. Greene, Menaphon (Arb.), 27. Mothers wagge, pretie boy. Fathers sorrow, fathers ioy.
1596. Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., I. ii. 66. But I prythee sweet Wag, shall there be Gallowes standing in England when thou art King?
1601. B. Jonson, Poetaster, IV. iii. But if Cypris once recouer The wag; it shall behoue her to looke better to him.
1607. Heywood, Fair Maid Exch., H 4. Thou maist … Learne to entice the affable yong wagge.
1672. Marvell, Reh. Transp., I. 87. Nor was he let down till the Master had planted a Grove of Birch in his back-side, for the Terrour … of all Waggs that divulge the Secrets of Priscian.
2. ‘Any one ludicrously mischievous; a merry droll’ (J.); a habitual joker. (In early use often combined with sense 1.) Phrase, to play the wag.
1584. R. Scot, Discov. Witchcr., XIII. xxiii. 324. How to rap a wag vpon the knuckles.
c. 1585. Faire Em, I. iii. 59. The little boy hath played the wagg with you.
1591. Lyly, Endym., III. iii. Heere commeth two wagges. Enter Dares and Samias.
1604. Breton, Grimellos Fort. (Grosart), 9/2. Hauing wit enough, vpon a litle warning, to plaie the wagge in the right vaine.
1612. Beaum. & Fl., Coxcomb, V. i. Just. Go to, go to, you have a merry meaning, I have found you sir ifaith, you are a wag, away.
1635. Life Long Meg of Westminster, 37. The little boy, that was a wag, thought to be merry with the miller.
1640. in 11th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. VII. 100. Some wags or other hath sett over the parliament doore pray remember the judges as if they had been too long forgotten.
1744. M. Bishop, Life, 156. We were daily playing the Wag, and as jocular as ever Men were all the time we stayed there.
1745. Joe Miller’s Jests, 61. The same Wagg … said, Taylors were like Woodcocks, for they got their Sustenance by their long Bills.
1779. Mirror, No. 23, ¶ 3. He took in succession the degrees of a wag, a pickle, and a lad of mettle.
1787. Mme. D’Arblay, Diary, June. Colonel Goldsworthy is the wag professed of their community.
1845. Ford, Handbk. Spain, I. 21. The inns of Spain are divided by wags into many classes—the bad, the worse, and the worst.
1849. W. Irving, Goldsmith, i. 29. One Kelley, a notorious wag.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xix. IV. 358. Some wag cried out, ‘Burn it; burn it;’ and this bad pun … was received with shouts of laughter.
3. To play (the) wag: to play truant. slang.
1851–61. Mayhew, Lond. Labour, III. 87. Used by schoolmasters for the correction of boys who neglect their tasks, or play the wag. Ibid., 197. They often persuaded me to ‘hop the wag,’ that is, play truant from school.
1889. J. K. Jerome, Three Men in Boat, xvii. 284. A boy, when he plays the wag from school.
1900. ‘H. Lawson,’ Over Sliprails, 154. Oh! why will you run away from home, Will, and play the wag, and steal, and get us all into such trouble?
