Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

NAG, v.², n.²

I. v. 1. To strike smartly, to beat (Lnk. 1825 Jam.). Vbl.n. naggin, the act of striking the knuckles with a marble as a punishment in the game of nags (Abd., Cld. 1880 Jam.). See n., 1. (2).

2. To nick, notch, or hack with a sharp instrument, to snap, snatch, bite, mark with the teeth (w. and s.Sc. 1887 Jam., nag, neg). Also in Eng. dial.

II. n. 1. (1) A stroke of the marble, or the marble itself, in the game of nags. Also dim. aphetic form aggie; (2) in pl., a game played with marbles, in which the loser is struck a certain number of times on the knuckles by the marbles of the other players (Abd., Cld. 1825 Jam.); (3) a boys' game, in which “a ball was thrown against the side of a house, and a boy's name called; if the boy named failed to catch it on the first bounce, he had to stand facing the wall and be pelted by the others ” (Arg.² 1931).Abd. 1853 W. Cadenhead Flights 256:
We gladly relinquish'd the nags or the cuffets.Rnf. 1877 J. M. Neilson Poems 93:
Johnnie aften brags Hoo he sends his neebors up For their nippy “nags”.Ags. 1951 C. Sellars Open the Westport 46:
I traded all but two aggies wi' Jamie Laggan for this knife.

2. A nick, notch, indentation, a bite. snap (w. and s.Sc. 1887 Jam.).