Rattle your dags

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Meaning

Hurry up or get moving. Very informal. The literal farming reference makes the phrase earthy but not normally obscene. Regional use: New Zealand; also heard in rural Australian English.

Origin

In sheep farming, dags are locks of wool around a sheep's hindquarters that have become matted with dung. The command humorously imagines a sheep moving fast enough for its dried dags to rattle. This concrete pastoral explanation accounts for the wording, although a precise first speaker or date has not been established.

Variants

  • Rattle the dags
  • Get your dags rattling
  • Better rattle your dags

Usage Examples

  • Rattle your dags or the ferry will leave without us.
  • The coach told the reserves to get their dags rattling and warm up.

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