Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US campus) the menstrual period.

1967–8

Baker et al. CUSS 117: Flag day Be menstruating.

used of a woman who is menstruating.

1889–90		Barrère & Leland Dict. of Sl., Jargon and Cant.
1890–1904		Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.
1916		H.N. Cary Sl. of Venery.
1931		J.T. Farrell ‘Merry Clouters’ Fellow Countrymen (1937) 398: ‘How about a little put-and-take, girls?’ Hennessey suddenly said [...] ‘The flag’s out,’ Nettie said.
1938		J. Weidman I Can Get It For You Wholesale 216: The first time I figured, all right, maybe the flag was up.
1966		B. Jackson Get Your Ass in the Water (1974) 129: And after the end of the month rolls around and that bitch’s flag jump back in port [when she menstruates] / then keep every inch a your natural prick right down her pricksucken throat.
1980		Maledicta IV:2 (Winter) 197: Or she may permit a bit of bazooka (= all but), refraining from sexual intercourse because the flag is up, indicating that the captain (or cardinal) is home.
1989		J. Morton Lowspeak 121: The red flag is up – menstruation.
1999		J. Randall ‘A Visit from Aunt Rose’ in Verbatim XXV:1 Winter 25: Codes that refer to blood include the red flag is up (sometimes shortened to just the flag is up or the flag is flying; also sometimes flying Baker, since Baker is the Navy code for B, and the B flag is red).

(N.Z. prison) racist clashes between prison gangs.

2001

D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 70/1: flags are going up int. refers to gang racism among inmates.

1. (US prison) to betray one’s personality, esp. in a situation, e.g. prison, where such honesty may be foolish.

1992

Bentley & Corbett Prison Sl. 32: Flag […] A label (usually negative) placed on someone for a particular characteristic he may possess. ‘He was flagged a homosexual before anyone really knew him.’ A person is flyin’ a flag when he is allowing other inmates to see his particular character traits in his appearance or actions.

2. (US black teen) to wear gang colours.

2008

posting at slumz.boxden.com 🌐 Just because he fly a flag don’t mean he’s really bout that [...] just because snoop is an ‘actual’ crip don’t mean he put in work.

of a woman, to be menstruating.

1963–74		B. Humphries Barry McKenzie [comic strip] in Complete Barry McKenzie (1988) 24: If you’ve got the flags out, flamin’ say so.
1985		B. Humphries Traveller’s Tool 25: Accept lavish expense account lunches without telling you first they’ve got the flags out.
1988		McGill Dict. of Kiwi Sl. 45/1: flags, phr. have the flags out menstrual period;.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. [as cit. 1988].

(drugs) to have the needle in a vein.

1986

C. Stroud Close Pursuit (1988) 133: He had the flag up when we took him [...] He tapped it in when we came through the door and he’s been on the nod ever since.

(orig. US) a phr. used to warn a man that his trouser fly is undone.

1970		D. Lebofsky Lex. of Phila. Metropolitan Area n.p.: Close the stable or the horse’ll get out, who died—your flag is at half-mast, your lunch box is open, flies cause disease—keep yours closed, what do birds do?—your fly is open.
1980		A. Pearl Dict. of Popular Sl. 50: Flag is at half-mast, one’s – the zipper on a pair of trousers is partially opened.

one whose noisy patriotism is surpassed only by the care with which they ensure their ineligibility for active service.

1899		Kipling ‘The Flag of Their Country’ in Complete Stalky & Co. (1987) 221: I was in the study, doin’ a simply lovely poem about the Jelly-bellied Flag-flapper.
1916		C.J. Dennis ‘The Call of Stoush’ in Moods of Ginger Mick 30: ’E never flapped no flags nor sich like rot; / ’E never sung ‘Gawsave’ in all ’is life.

(S.Afr.) an erect penis.

2002

in ‘Ben Trovato’ On the Run (2007) 26: Some men take Viagra. [...] Well, I need the opposite. I am looking for something to anaesthetise my ardour. I want a pharmaceutical to flummox the flagpole.

one who takes patriotism to the extreme, who metaphorically ‘shags’ the flag .

2021		@DanSeanClayton in Twitter 19 Mar. 🌐 Would like to think Flagshagger is in contention for WOTY 2021, but I wouldn't be surprised if all abuse of the union flag is banned by law by the end of this year and WOTY renamed as the Pride of English Awards.
2021		Dly Teleg. 19 Mar. 🌐 Ms [Naga] Munchetty ‘liked’ a tweet that said: ‘What has Charlie done? The flag shaggers will be up in arms. Tell him we love him’.

(US black) a bus stop.

1944

D. Burley Orig. Hbk of Harlem Jive 12: I’m stiffing the stroll on the flag spot when up pops a fine banana with a cluck stud hanging on her crook.

1. (also flag-wagger) an overt and excessive patriot, esp. as found during the Anglo-Boer Wars.

1919		Athenaeum 11 July 582/2: Many slang expressions may be added — ‘flag- wagger,’ a signaller; ‘foot-slogger,’ an infantry private [etc].
1942		in W.B. Huie Can Do! 103: All those flag wavers who just sit pretty and look cute [HDAS].
1966		Guardian 30 Sept. 6/8: An imperialist, a flagwagger.
1982		N.Y. Times 26 Oct. D 26: Herb Brooks, an old-fashioned sort who calls himself a ‘flag-waver,’ was the coach of the American [ice hockey] team [HDAS].

2. (US) a song, film or oration which arouses patriotic fervour; thus flag-waving n.

1937		The N.Y. Woman 24 Feb. 29: ‘A flag waver’ is the last chorus in which everybody goes to town ending up like a full ensemble of Valkyries and Norse Gods.
1942		Yank 1 July 21: Friendly Enemies (United Artists). Right out of the corn bin and a flag-waver to boot [HDAS].
1957		Al Cohn/Zoot Sims Quintet [LP album notes] Just you, Just Me, taken at ‘flagwaver’ tempo, closes the album.
1960		Leisure Dec. 40: In the old days were the Gene Krupa solos, the screaming-type solos of Harry James, the flagwaving.
1966		C. Keil Urban Blues 119: The band usually opens with a flag waver in the Count Basie tradition, showing off and letting everybody know that things are underway in earnest.
1971		(con. 1940s) R. Blesh Combo:USA 153: [T]he loud, up - tempo killer - dillers or flag - wavers.
2012		(con. 1940s) B. Crowther Gene Krupa [ebook] The up-tempo numbers become real flag-wavers but at least served to raise the evening’s temperature.

3. (US) a piece of music (or a part thereof) that excites the audience (no patriotic fervour is implied).

1993

R. Firestone Swing, Swing, Swing 223: The Krupa band based its style on the audience-rousing flag-wavers that Benny himself was now trying to put behind him.

an advertisement offering employment .

1930

Eve. Teleg. 12 Feb. 6/5: Not willingly does he cross the ‘damp-pot’ to better his fortune but gladly sees a ‘flag up’ (advertisment) or ‘flag in the window’ to tell him of a job in prospect.

used of someone who is drunk.

c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Flagg [...] The Flag of Defiance is out, (among the Tars) the Fellow’s Face is very Red, and he is Drunk.
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: The flag of defiance or bloody flag is out, sea phrase signifying the man is drunk and alluding to the redness of his face.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.

see separate entry.

see under banner n.

see flag v.² (3)

(US) a plate of macaroni.

1902

N.-Y. Trib. section II, 27 July 2: ‘Put up the flag’ means macaroni, just why, no one seems able to explain, though there is vaguely felt to be some subtle reference to Yankee Doodle and the Stars and Stripes.