Dag is a word that gets a lot of use. Technically it refers to the grotty bit of gunk that collects around a sheep's tail and is why in this country sheep have their tails docked. But colloquially it refers to someone who is, well, a bit of a nerd (in that 1970s sense of nurd). It has a wide range of values, so to say to someone "You're a dag" can actually be a form of sweet talking, but in other contexts it has all the negative connotations of being unfashionably out of date, socially clumsy, and just, well, daggy. Generally you don't want to be a dag.
Posted by amiles at April 9, 2003 10:24 AM