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vag n. & adj. [Originally Irish and US abbreviation of vagrant (Ireland: GDS 1830; US: GDS 1859) or vagrancy, but of local significance. Also NZ: DNZE 1905.]

A. n.
1. A vagrant.

1882 Mercury & Weekly Courier (Melbourne) 25 Mar. 1/5 (heading) Youthful Vags. At an early hour on Sunday morning Constable Lynn had his attention directed to a shed where a number of larrikins were ‘dossing’.   1888 J. Freeman Lights & Shadows Melbourne Life 100 A few ‘vags’ of all ages and both sexes, who have just left the holes and corners where they have passed the night, prowl about the carts and stalls.   1905 W. Moore City Sketches 48 The poor help the poor, and the vag. helps the vag.   1916 Truth (Sydney) 17 Dec. 1/6 A vag at the Scentral the other day claimed to be that weak that he couldn’t lift his voice.   1942 Bulletin (Sydney) 1 July 13/4 It was near to closing time when the town’s chief vag. entered my favourite pinky shop with a quart wine bottle that he had salvaged somewhere around the parks.   1979 M. Rutherford Departmental 69 The vag waited but the policeman just walked past him to a car.


2. a. Vagrancy. Esp. In the phrase on (or under) the vag: on a charge of vagrancy. Also attrib.

1876 Gippsland Times (Sale) 25 May 4/1 Many young larrikins are brought up ‘on the vag’.   1883 Hawkesbury Chron. (Windsor) 1 Sept. 3/4 Mr Ducker sent him up to Windsor for two months; at the expiration of which John may have come to the conclusion that an honest day's work is better than being on the vag.   1891 Truth (Sydney) 10 May 3/3 The young victim of a constable’s malevolence was charged ‘under the vag.’, with having no visible lawful means of support.   1903 Truth (Sydney) 18 Jan. 1/7 For sitting on the street at Newtown on Sunday last, and telling a constable she had ‘nowhere to go’, an old woman was sent up for a month under the vag.   1919 V. Marshall World of Living Dead 12 Three charges agin’ me—righteous, vag, an’ resisting.   1937 Wisberg & Waters Bushman at Large 87 You’ll be up before the beak for an on-the-vag charge.   1951 Cusack & James Come in Spinner 261 She’d heard about lots of girls being picked up under the Vag., some of them the wrong girls too, like Monnie.   1965 Coast to Coast 1963-64 116 Harriet’s doing six months on a vag rap.   1978 K. Gilbert People are Legends 21 Each other week I’m in ‘pokey’—pigs charge me with drunk Or on vag. No place of abode I sleep by the road.   1989 R. Davidson Ancestors 92 You bloody hippies, I ought to turn you in for vag.   2001 Gold Coast Bull. 29 Dec. 60/3 It's a Vag Act charge, sarge. Surely he's entitled to watchhouse bail.



2 b. A charge of vagrancy; imprisonment as the result of such a charge.

1896 Bulletin (Sydney) 11 Apr. 17/4 A layer and a backer were run in at a Perth (W.A.) rural meeting, though everybody else was betting all day… Under W.A.’s precious law if they again offend they are liable to 12 months ‘vag’.   1936 Red Star (Perth) 7 Feb. 1/1 Destitute men camping round Kalgoorlie are hunted away on threat of the ‘vag’.   c. 1972 Parramatta Jail Gloss. (Unpubl. typescript, ANDC Archive) 8 Vag, charged with vagrancy.


B. adj. Obs. Vagrant.

1963 N.T. News (Darwin) 3 Jan. 10/5 They asked me if I was working and I said no  ..  then the copper said ‘you’re vag’ and they arrested me.