With somebody named Blagojevich in the news it seems a good time to introduce a you to a new new word, Blag.
Blag, according to the Oxford English Dictionary is a verb that originated in the eighteenth century among London's criminal fraternity. Originally it meant to carry out a robbery.
While the original meaning still has currency, more modern usages of the verb "to blag" mean to obtain dishonestly, to beg agressively and to use coercion to obtain something.
So who is going to be revealed as a blagger then?
Update 2009 - 09 - 24
The end of the affair ? Barack Obama has a track record for dimping his former best friends. But today, as we read news of how Obama snubbed British Prime Minister Gordon Drown at the UN summit we can onlt wonder did BO dump Gordon by text or on Twitter Gordon 4 Obama
Strange though that Obama should choose now to alienate his strongest ally. With the Imminent Collapse Of The Dollar staring him in the face thanks to his ill - considered stimulus bill and subsequent insane spending program one would think he needs all his friends around him.
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Comments: 28
Spead the word, let's see if we can make it catch on :D
Yeah, that one is still in use but I decided it was covered by begging aggressively.
When I used to put on rock gigs around local venues you would not have believed the stories some of the blaggers came up with as to why they should get in for free.
Blagothon is good, yep I feel it in my bones, this is going to become part of the language.
Must get off to Huff Post and do some evangelising there ;-)
Thank you for posting to this group whose only purpose is to thank you for posting to this group, and not snag, shag, drag or flag it.
Regards,
Doyle I <~~~~~
Blaagojevich or for short Blag
Was know as a dishonest slag
His pay to play scam
got him into a jam
but he blamed his wife who was a nag.
Your turn... :-)
Quite right too, he's standing up for the reputation of Chicago politics.
Will his commemorative prison wing be finished in time for him to do time there. In my experience the contractors spend so much time blagging extra payments for imaginary work the projects take decades to complete.
You ask how can Grems be so proud. For the same reason one of our British national heroes is Robin Hood who did rob from the rich alright but only gave to the poor in the sense that he and his Merry Men were poor.
Only when you have blagged enough money to be able to live in a tax haven with no extradition treaties.
Born to blag you might say.
Perhaps I should have explained the reputation of the Chicago political setup. but if I know here in Britain I just asumed everybody on your side of the pond would.
It's good to know you still struggle to beat a London blagger.
Oh, he's not the ONLY Governor there! Forget the detals, just get a sign to hang up and rename an existing wing! Of course, the sign maker will get blagging rights...so should kick a little something something back, eh?
A few years ago I was minding my brother's market stall and a student came up and asked the price of a jacket.
£20 (or whatever) I said.
She came back: "I'll give you fifteen."
I said "If the price was £15 it would say £15 on the label."
"I never pay full price for anything," she said, fluttering her eyelashes and flashing a cheeky smile.
"My dear girl," I said "I can see that by the way you are dressed."
It's the sense of entitlement these people have that pisses me off.
Tell your daughter "well done" from me. I hope she keeps up the good work. Even affluent people are entitled to make a living.
Its a pleasure.
Would there be a Mayor Daly wing by any chance?
I think you are right - if a bragger is someone who brags about a particular thing and a braggart is one whose reputation is built on bragging then a blagger is someone who might blag a gree drink or a couple of gig tickets while a blaggart's entire fortune would be the result of blagging. In which case a blaggart would be similar to a madoff.