Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (orig. US, also dirthead) a general term of abuse, irrespective of sex.

[1941		P. Kendall Army and Navy Sl. 4: Dirt bag [...] a soldier on the garbage detail].
1967–8		Baker et al. CUSS 106: Dirt bag An obnoxious person.
1970		J. Carroll ‘The Basketball Diaries’ in Paris Review Fall 110: I’m gonna bring all the dirt heads from old Madison Square Boys’ Club up here some night .
1979		D. Gram Foxes (1980) 82: ‘You guys all think you’re so hip, slick and cool,’ Scott said with a sneer. ‘Well, you’re all dirt heads, you know that?’.
1989		C. Hiaasen Skin Tight 24: Guy sounds like a dirtbag, anyway.
1992		R. Marcinko Rogue Warrior (1993) 252: What sort of people can slide in the back door most easily? Dirtbags.
2001		N. Green Shooting Dr. Jack (2002) 274: That guy’s a dirtbag.
2002		R.G. Barrett Mystery Bay Blues 18: If ever he came across an old lady being mugged and caught the dirtbag doing it [etc.].
2006		posting at Channel-4 TV News 6 May 🌐 Charles is a two-timing filandering dirtbag.
2012		C. Stella Rough Riders 36: The world gets to deal with X amount of dirt bags to balance out the good people.
2017		D. Winslow The Force [ebook] Malone sitting on a steel bench in a holding cell like the dirtbags he usually puts there.
2020		D. Winslow ‘Sunset’ in Broken 178: [H]e’s a dirtbag. A three-time loser.
2021		C. Hammer Opal Country 248: ‘I weed out the corrupt, the weak and the dirtbags’.
2025		C. Stella Rapino/Amato 15: ‘The President can’t order the army into Mexico to wipe these dirtbags out’.

2. a promiscuous woman.

1993

B. Moore Lex. of Cadet Lang. 117: usage: What — you fucked that dirtbag? Shit! — you must have been desperate.