Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (also blag job, blague) robbery, often with violence, esp. of a bank or post office.

1885		Sessions Papers n.p.: There has been another blag down round here [DU].
1936		J. Curtis Gilt Kid 22: I’ve let myself in for screwing the Bank of England or doing a blag on the crown jewels.
1938		F.D. Sharpe Sharpe of the Flying Squad 329: Smash and grab raiding is described as ‘The Blague’ or ‘The Smash.’ (‘Billy is at the blague’ – Billy is smash and grab raiding).
1941		V. Davis Phenomena in Crime 138: A ‘blag’, which means snatching from the counter.
1955		B. Hill Boss of Britain’s Underworld 31: Now blagging is robbery with violence [...] There were many advantages in blags. First, most blags are done for hard cash .
1955		B. Hill Boss of Britain’s Underworld 5: We never wore disguises [...] It’s amazing how few people recognise you on a blag job.
1958		F. Norman Bang To Rights 10: Some geezer, who [...] had been captured on a blag down the west.
1970		G.F. Newman Sir, You Bastard 71: A blag was done up the road.
1977		G.F. Newman A Prisoner’s Tale 16: He would have taken his nicking had he really been involved in the blag and it had come on top.
1989		(con. 1950s–60s) in G. Tremlett Little Legs 38: The only things the Old Bill have ever captured me for are blags and deception.
1996		P. Howard The Joy (2015) [ebook] He never seemed to flash any of the sponds he claimed to earned from various ‘job’ and ‘blags’.
2001		N. Barlay Hooky Gear 181: Me an him is gonna pull off one of the biggest blags in the history of crime. [Ibid.] 182: I tell them about the Wealdstone corner shop blag of ’94, the biggest confectionery haul of the last millennium. It was well sweet.
2001		D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 19/2: blag n. an armed robbery.
2007		N. ‘Razor’ Smith Raiders 111: You can’t do as many armed blags as I have done and expect to reign for ever.

2. bag-snatching, watch-stealing.

1984

Partridge DSUE (8th edn) 90/2: since ca. 1920.

3. a wages snatch.

1984

Partridge DSUE (8th edn) 90/2: since late 1930s.

4. (orig. UK Und.) a persuasive if lying story.

[1855		Luton Times 24 Apr. 8/5: Cave, adsam; you understand me, / Drop them, abandon blague and cant, / And tell me plainly what you want].
1962		R. Cook Crust on its Uppers 15: This is no blag [...] it’s a tale of someone who wanted to go and go.
1984		‘Derek Raymond’ He Died with His Eyes Open 24: Next time you just throw any old unverified blag off on me over a case I’m handling, you might just have a stumble on your next flight to the top.
1998		G. Burn Happy Like Murderers 185: Making a monkey out of. Pulling the wool over. Putting one over on. The chisel. The blag.
2005		B. Hare Urban Grimshaw 54: Everyone was on the make [...] pulling a blag.

5. (Irish) an oppprtunity for crime.

1996

P. Howard The Joy (2015) [ebook] ‘[I]t’s instinct [...] being able to spot a switch when it was going down, spot a blag, an opening, an opportunity’.