subs. (public schools’).—1. A boy who does menial work for a schoolfellow in a higher form. [From FAG, to grow weary.]
1855. THACKERAY, The Newcomes, ch. xviii. Bob Trotter, the diminutive FAG of the studio, who ran on all the young men’s errands, and fetched them in apples, oranges, and walnuts.
1867. G. A. LAWRENCE, Guy Livingstone, ch. i. Is still enumerated among the feats of the brave days of old, by the FAGS over their evening small beer.
2. (Christ’s Hospital).—See quot.
1850. L. HUNT, Autobiography, ch. iii. FAG, with us [at Christ’s Hospital], meant eatables. The learned derived the word from the Greek phago, to eat.
3. (American thieves’).—A lawyer’s clerk.
1859. G. W. MATSELL, Vocabulum; or, The Rogue’s Lexicon, s.v.
Verb (public schools’).—1. To do menial work for a schoolfellow in a higher form. Cf., FAG, subs., sense 1.
1884. Temple Bar, Aug., p. 514. He must have completely marred his chance of happiness at the school when he refused to FAG and took countless thrashings, snivelling.
2. (old).—To beat.
1754. B. MARTIN, English Dictionary (2nd ed.).
1811. GROSE and CLARKE, Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v. FAG the bloss, beat the wench.
