Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (UK Und.) a whip.

1753		J. Poulter Discoveries (1774) 43: A Flogger; a Whip.
1781		G. Parker View of Society II 174: A highwayman will ding his Upper-Benjamin, his Jazey, his Sticks, his Flogger, his Diggers, his Beater-Cases, &c. and having all these on him when he committed the robbery, is totally transformed by dinging.
c.1786		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue ms. additions .
1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (3rd edn).
1809		G. Andrewes Dict. Sl. and Cant.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict.
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open.
1859		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc. 40: FLOGGER, a whip. Obsolete.
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict. [as cit. 1859].
1873		Sl. Dict.
1908		G. Seagram Bushman All 256: If we are goin’ to yard the niggers in the Tooramurra Hole, we must have whips [...] how could we cut out the blacks without floggers?

2. (Aus., also flogger coat, flogger tail) a morning coat [fig. use of sense 1: like a whip, esp. a cat-o-nine-tails, it has ‘tails’].

1896		Clipper (Hobart) 4 Apr. 2/2: The [...] ‘flogger’ coat of the Launceston police is tha cause of a good deal of worry to some [...] who are howling for a more swagger cut.
1900		Bulletin (Sydney) 13 Jan. 13/2: And list, don’t wear top hat or ‘flogger,’ / They won’t stand that in Footscray, Mogger / You’d shut up pubs if they allowed yer, / And banish barmaids, Mr. Mowjer.
1906		E. Dyson Fact’ry ’Ands 185: Mills had been seen at large in a flogger coat, and wearing a turn-over collar five inches high.
1911		E. Dyson ‘Nicholas Don and the Meek Almira’ in Benno and Some of the Push 23: Then the first voice again, pleadingly: ‘Nickie, where did you get them round-the-’ouses?’ ‘’N’ that flogger?’ ‘’N’ that little dickie-dirt?’.
1914		Bulletin (Sydney) 13 Aug. 11/2: I was interrupted by the arrival of a perfect stranger in a flogger coat, top hat, spats and other things.
1916		Seattle Star 11 Nov. 8/3: Key to Broadway Slang! [...] I’ll lay a cutter to a meg he made you before buttons took your flogger [I’ll bet a cent to a dollar that he recognised you before the hat boy reliecved you over your overcoat].
1924		Sun. Times (Perth) 16 Mar. 4/7: The bridegroom [...] found about 2lb of rice in the coat-tail of his wedding flogger.
1935		Albandy Advertiser (WA) 25 Oct. 6/5: A red hunting coat with 'flogger tails' and a tall hat.
1936		Mirror (Perth) 15 Aug. 22/1: Feeling like the man who has arrived at a ball in his flogger tail, and forgottent to change his tan shoes.
1946		Examiner (Launceston, Tas.) 11 July 4/2: With a mighty flourish Mr Leake produces from his flogger-tail coat pocket [...] a book.
1954		Western Mail (Perth) 8 July 8/1: Wearing a grey top hat, striped pants and a flogger-tail coat.
1971		F.J. Hardy Outcasts of Foolgarah (1975) 16: Little Tich [...] unrecognizable in a black flogger-tail coat, grey trousers, pointed shoes.

3. (Aus./US) an overcoat [fig. use of sense 1: like a whip, esp. a cat-o-nine-tails, it has ‘tails’].

1904		Number 1500 Life In Sing Sing 248: Flogger. An overcoat.
1915		T.A. Dorgan in Zwilling TAD Lex. (1993) 36: What was the matter with the flogger?
1924		G. Henderson Keys to Crookdom 404: Flogger. Overcoat. Flogger stiff – overcoat thief.
1925		G.H. Mullin Adventures of a Scholar Tramp 290: He slept with his ‘blinkin’ flogger’ over his head.
1931		C.S. Montanye ‘Tight Spot’ in Complete Stories 15 Sept. 🌐 ‘Get your skimmer and flogger,’ the man growled [...] the Kid smiled. ‘Pardon me while I get my coat and hat.’.
1931		D. Runyon ‘Broadway Financier’ in Runyon on Broadway (1954) 210: She has enough fur coats [...] including a chinchilla flogger.
1948		C.S. Montanye ‘This Murder’s On Me’ in Thrilling Detective June 🌐 I stashed the dicer and flogger and went on an expedition to find my dream girl.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn).
1950		Goldin et al. DAUL 72/1: Flogger. An overcoat.
1950		P. Hoskins No Hiding Place! 190/1: Flogger. Overcoat.