sponge bagn.
/ˈspʌn(d)ʒ baɡ/, U.S. /ˈspəndʒ ˌbæɡ/ 1. Originally: a waterproof bag used for storing and carrying a sponge or flannel used for washing. Now usually: a waterproof bag for holding toiletries, cosmetics, etc.; a wash bag.
ΚΠ
1825 S. T. Coleridge Coll. Lett. (1971) V. 498 I forgot my Sponge & Sponge-Bag of oiled Silk.
1858 P. L. Simmonds Dict. Trade Products Sponge-bag, an oil-skin case for a toilet sponge.
1944 A. Thirkell Headmistress (1996) xi. 299 He rammed a sponge bag and a pair of socks into his already overfull suitcase.
1988 Financial Times (Nexis) 30 July (Weekend section) p.xv The difficulty of finding a proper sponge-bag—one that copes with a wet face-cloth and a wet toothbrush and has compartments for the creams and lotions that inevitably leak.
2021 @sacosw 28 Oct. in twitter.com (02 Dec. 2021) I'd have a sponge bag—toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, all of that.
2. Chiefly British. In plural. Men's wool trousers of a type worn with formal attire (also spec. as part of the uniform worn by prefects at Eton College), having a very fine, muted black-and-white check pattern: cf. earlier sponge bag trousers at Compounds.
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1911 Northern Weekly Gaz. (Stockton-on-Tees) 21 Jan. 32/3 Mr Pegram was silent. Suddenly he slapped his sponge-bags and laughed the joyous laugh of the sporting publican.
1967 M. Bosticco Etiquette for Businessman at Home & Abroad ii. 7 A grey top-hat is usually worn in preference to black and spongebags can be worn instead of striped trousers.
2004 Times 21 Feb. 49/4 Morning coat is black, and so are the trousers, unless you were in Pop [i.e. a prefect] at Eton, as so entitled to wear spongebags.
Compounds
Chiefly British. Designating clothing having a very fine, muted black-and-white check pattern. Esp. in sponge bag trousers: men's wool trousers made from fabric of this pattern, of a type worn with formal attire (see sense 2).
ΚΠ
1900 ‘Major of To-day’ Clothes & Man 48 In the summer time, if you are middle-aged, you may wear black and white check trousers. The check should, of course, be very small; most men call these ‘sponge bag’ trousers.
1934 V. Woolf Diary 8 May (1982) 218 In every hotel in Ireland sits a military man with..a loud commanding voice, & spongebag coat & red slippers.
1977 A. J. Ayer Part of My Life ii. 35 The members of Pop [i.e. the prefects at Eton] also had the privileges..of wearing coloured waistcoats, sponge-bag trousers.., and sealing wax on their top-hats.
1981 J. Lees-Milne Diary 2 June in Deep Romantic Chasm (2003) 151 Was accosted by Yates the old custodian's son..wearing very smart spongebag suit and old-fashioned square bowler.
1983 N. Mosley Beyond Pale xv. 140 They were further distinguished from the populace by being able to wear coloured waistcoats and sponge-bag trousers (as opposed to dark ones with or without stripes).
2011 Sunday Tel. (Nexis) 31 July 2 The groom, best-man and ushers wore black morning suits with sponge bag trousers, by a bespoke London tailor.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2022).
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