Drag
Something boring, tedious or annoying.
- Origin: slang for a bore since the 19th century; Green’s cites an 1863 example
- On the Slang-o-matic wheel: Boomers (born 1946–1964). That is who the translator files it under, not a claim that this generation coined it.
What it means
A drag is something boring, tiresome or annoying: a chore, a long wait, a plan that fell through. Cambridge Dictionary defines this sense as “something that is not convenient and is boring or unpleasant,” with the example “Filling in forms is such a drag!”
Drag has several unrelated slang meanings. Cambridge also lists a separate sense, “the activity of dressing in clothes of a different gender,” as in drag shows, which has nothing to do with this one.
Where it comes from
The bore sense is old. Green’s Dictionary of Slang files it under “a disappointment, a pity, a nuisance, a task that one has no desire to perform; a bore,” with 19th-century citations. One from 1863, in a book about the Union army, has a weary general say his life “would be a wretched drag.”
Green’s also records it in a 1968 dictionary of hip words, which defines a party pooper as “a drag person,” someone who is no fun.
Who says it now
The translator files drag under Boomers as their word for a problem, which matches its use in 1960s hip talk more than its age. In our observation “what a drag” is still widely understood and sounds mildly retro, while the clothing meaning is now the one many younger people hear first.
Tone
Mild and casual. It is a grumble, not a curse, and it fits small annoyances better than real hardship. Calling a person a drag is a gentle insult, though it can still sting.
What adults hear, what kids mean
Because drag has two common senses, “a drag” (a bore) and “in drag” (dressed as another gender), a listener who knows only one may be briefly confused. The little word “a” usually gives it away: “what a drag” is a complaint, not a costume.
How to use it
The usual forms are “what a drag,” “such a drag” and “a real drag.” It is used for situations, tasks and sometimes people, as in calling someone a drag at a party.
Two examples, written by us:
- The concert got rained out. What a drag.
- Cleaning out the garage is a drag, but we said we would do it before winter.
How to answer it
When someone says “what a drag,” a sympathetic reply is often enough: “Yeah, that’s annoying.” If it is a chore you share, offering to help is the friendliest answer.
Same idea, other generations
The Slang-o-matic wheel files Drag under Boomers for the idea of something bad or disappointing. These are the words it files under the same idea, by generation. They are related, not always exact translations:
Related slang
- Dough (Boomers): Money, in old-fashioned slang.
- Outta sight (Boomers): Fantastic, wonderful; often an exclamation of delight.
- Chill (Gen X): To relax; relaxed and easygoing.
Try the slang translatorAll slang by generation
Sources
Meanings and dates on this page come from these dictionaries. Each quote is copied word for word from the linked page.
- Cambridge Dictionary
“something that is not convenient and is boring or unpleasant”
“Filling in forms is such a drag!”
“the activity of dressing in clothes of a different gender”
- Green's Dictionary of Slang
“a disappointment, a pity, a nuisance, a task that one has no desire to perform; a bore”
“1863 Annals of the Army of the Cumberland 61: 'General, you are leading a hard life,'”
“if this life were all, it would be a wretched drag”
- Green's Dictionary of Slang
“1968 'Hy Lit' Hy Lit's Unbelievable Dict. of Hip Words 30: party pooper – A drag person”