| 单词 | ragtag |
| 释义 | ragtag (once / 27551 pages) n A ragtag is a disorganized or motley group of people. When a parade marching band is described as a ragtag, it probably has mismatched outfits and an odd collection of instruments. The noun ragtag comes from the old-fashioned phrase rag, tag, and bobtail — bobtail was once slang for "contemptible rascal," while tag was used to mean "torn cloth." Together, the phrase meant "riffraff" or "an unsavory bunch of folks." Today, you're more likely to see ragtag used as an adjective, as it is in the musical "Hamilton," in which the Continental Army is described as "a ragtag volunteer army in need of a shower." WORD FAMILYragtag: ragtags USAGE EXAMPLESThey called themselves the Penn Station Nation, a ragtag group of roughly 50 homeless people who congregated around New York City’s bustling transportation hub. New York Times(Dec 10, 2016) The chorus of ragtag political exiles in Act IV was rendered with stabbing intensity. New York Times(Dec 09, 2016) League officials worried that games would become too ragtag and fans would eventually get bored. Wall Street Journal(Nov 20, 2016) n disparaging terms for the common people Syn|Hypo|Hyper rabble, ragtag and bobtail, riffraff scum, trash worthless people common people, folk, folks people in general (often used in the plural) |
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