nag, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

nag n.

[fig. uses of SE nag, a saddle horse, thus play on ride v. (1)]

1. pertaining to a woman.

(a) a term of abuse; spec. a promiscuous woman, a prostitute.

1598		Marston ‘Hem nosti’n’ Satyres II E7: The witlesse sence / Of these odde naggs; whose pates circumference / Is fild with froth!
1608		Dekker Dead Tearme IV 58 : Such as Smithfield is to horses, such is a House of these Sisters to women: [...] the Bawds, Pettie Bawds, and Panders are the Horse-coursers that bring lades into the market: wher they swear they are free from diseases, when they haue more hanging on their bones then are in a French Army; [...] Such is the quality of Smithfield Nags, such is the property of Suburbe Curtizans.
1663		Head Hic et Ubique II ii: That stable that admits of all sorts of horses to litter in, now and then meets with a running Nag.
1856		Life in Boston & N.Y. (Boston, MA) 25 Oct. n.p.: That spavined nag, Lady Clifton.

(b) an ageing prostitute.

1976

P. Theroux Family Arsenal 161: The bitch, the whore, the nag, the shrew.

1855		‘California Bloomer’ in Lingenfelter et al. Songs of the Amer. West (1968) 103: Miss Ella is a gallus nag, / Miss Ella she is neat.
1900		Bulletin (Sydney) 29 Dec. 14/3: Andy would vacate his hut for the relieving ration-man, and, fixing up a tent hard by, would therein seclude himself – even from his ‘nag’ and dog – for a few days till the edge was off his spirituous attack.

(d) (US) of a prostitute, one who takes her time over making her daily money from her clients.

1983

R. Klein Jailhouse Jargon and Street Sl. [unpub. ms.].

(e) (US) a queen in cards.

1987

T.L. Clark Dict. Gambling and Gaming 133: Nag [...] in cards, a queen [HDAS].

2. the penis; thus running nag, a venereally diseased (gonorrhoea) penis, that discharges pus.

1598		Marston Scourge of Villanie B2: Hence lewd nags away, Goe read each poast, [...] Then to Priapus gardens.
1639		J. Taylor Crabtree Lectures 40: It will be long enough before thou wilt set up thy Nagge in my Stable, thou wall-ey’d wickednesse.
1650		H. Nevile Newes from the New Exchange 3: [Lady Carlisle] pines away for want of fresh-Cod, and knoweth not which way to lead her Nags to water, since the State hath cut off all her pipes of intelligence.
1655		Mercurius Fumigosus 36 31 Jan.–7 Feb. 284: [The priest] put his Nagg to grasse in her Coppice, which she watring at pleasure, found him to pace so well, that she resolv’d to take Mr Parson and his Nagge to livery, and so betroathed they were, and married.
1664		C. Cotton Virgil Travestie (1765) Bk IV 132: Some dirty Suburb-Drab / Has help’d the Rascal to a Clap, / And sent a running Nag to Sea.
1680		M. Stevenson Wits Paraphras’d 107: It made me mad, to think a Hag, / Shou’d give thee such a Running Nag.
1709		William Pen Turn’d Conjurer 4: Ralph finds Doll with Dick behind the Door. Poor Peter’s Nag is caught in Hannah’s Pound.
1768		Gentleman’s Bottle-Companion 20: My dear, says she, pray what call you this? [...] ’Tis Ball, my nag – then gave her a kiss.
1787		Harris’s List of Covent-Garden Ladies 97: An excellent Field to Graze Inn, which your nag might have the liberty of grazing in a whole night for two guineas.
1843		Satirist & Sporting Chron. (Sydney) 11 Mar. 2/4: He [...] has also expressed his determination of entering a nag for every Ladies’ Purse given at (The) Bush — whether Home or otherwise.
1890–1904		Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.

3. a case of venereal disease.

1734

C. Johnson Hist. of Highwaymen &c. 67: There was not a day hardly past, but I was coached; but at length I hackney’d so long, that I got an ambling Nag: Being recovered, I scorn’d to be dismay’d for one hard bargain; but returned at it again and again; and now I was grown to that Pass, that I cared not, and cried, Clap, that clap can, bearing in among them, and firing Gun for Gun.

4. in pl., horses, in the context of horseracing.

1941		F.S. Fitzgerald ‘Pat Hobby’s College Days’ in Pat Hobby Stories (1967) 161: That superintendent owes me three grand on the nags.
1949		L. Glassop Lucky Palmer 3: A kid like you ought to be at the pitchers [...] instead of wanting to do his dough on the nags.
1996		J. Byrell Lairs, Urgers & Coat-Tuggers 150: [H]e’d wanted to back some hayseed hay-pirate or other in the race on the bill for the country nags.
1999		D. Healy Sudden Times 84: I used to do the nags.
2001		Indep. Rev. 2 July 1: Much of the profit [...] was frittered away on the nags, the dogs, and anything else from poker to bridge.
2013		T. Peacock More You Bet 15: ‘The horses’ ( which were and are also known as ‘the gallops’, or ‘the nags’, or ‘the neddies’ or the ‘gee-gees’.

In phrases

tether one’s nags on (v.) (also tip the nags)

(Scot.) to have sexual intercourse.

1833		‘Poll Of Drury’ Lummy Chaunter 60: There we kissed out hearts content, / Then she tipt her nags the gallop.
1890–1904		Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.

water one’s nag (v.) [sense 2 above]

1. to urinate.

1984

Partridge DSUE (8th edn) 1311/2: C.19–20.

2. to have intercourse.

1677		P.W. New Songs 96: Let’s to the thing, For ... I must water my Nag at the Spring.
1681		‘Oxford in Mourning’ in Chappell Roxburghe Ballads (1874) II 384: Many in watering their Nags have been burn’d.
1696		Motteux (trans.) Gargantua and Pantagruel (1927) II Bk V 630: Others might water their Nags, and dabble after him without fear of Shankers, Carnosities, Gonorrhaeas, Buboes, Crinckums.
c.1707		‘The Trooper Watering His Nag’ in Farmer Merry Songs and Ballads (1897) I 192: When Night came on to Bed they went [...] What is this so stiff and warm [...] ’Tis Ball my nag – he will do you harm .