hello from the north
- Thread starter toerag
- Start date
MIKETHEBIKE
Active Member
My misses calls me a toerag ........ Biatch ha ha
austin
Well-Known Member
Welcome,
You must be up my way.
Not many people use the term toerag nor know how it originated
Illuminate us then. I think it is a mild pejorative term for either a somewhat dishonest deceptive person or a mate who's perhaps taking a joke a bit too far.
Lowflyer
Well-Known Member
Well young man, here is my perception of toe rag as described by my late dad
After the war, SSE, or the Hydro Board as it was called then, built several dams in the Highland Glens to gain hydro power to the National Grid. My dad was involved in the construction of these when he was de mobbed from the army.
Being a shortage of labour after the war, a local firm named Wm Logan employed Irish workforce to complement the local labour.
These Paddys ( an affectionate name used by my dad and not racist in any way whatsoever
) were taken over from Ireland and put up in large work camps based at or near the projects. They stayed for a couple of months at a time then went home for a long weekend.When they arrived initially, they wore two piece suits and/or a donkey jacket and a pair of wellies, nothing else. Elf and safety eh ?
When they finished their stint they would go home, buy a brand new suit and used that as their work clothes when they returned.
To combat the cold in their wellies and possibly to save on socks, they would cut up their bed linen ( much to Mrs Logan's annoyance ) and wrap the linen around their feet before they slipped their wellies on, hence the name toe rag.
The term toe rag up here means a worthy, a chancer, a ne'er do well, but not in a nasty way.
Hope this helps
