Why are horses called nags, and some greyhounds called bags?

Question

Why are horses called nags, and some greyhounds called bags?

Answer 1

An Egyptian Christian, I want a girl to love and marriage from America or Italy, but at least the age of 30 years possible

Answer 2

Old mares are called nags, I don't know why they call a greyhound a bag.  Maybe that's what they used to become when they were done racing?

Answer 3

The term "nag" seems to have its origins in the 1400's as "nagge," and was originally a term used to apply to a small horse.  In context, at the time it doesn't seem to have had a pejorative (insulting) connotation;  it just meant a small horse.  

Back in the days of yore, when horses, mules, donkeys and oxen were the norm for getting about or for doing work, people had a lot more descriptive terms for horses, just as we don't call every motored vehicle the same thing.  We have SUV's, station wagons, coupes, roadsters, compacts, sub-compacts, sports cars, and so on.  And we all know pretty much what each term means-- if someone tells you they've bought an SUV, you don't conjur up an image of a Corvette or some kind of sedan;  you can picture pretty much what an SUV looks like.

So it was with horses.  A nag, a palfrey, a cob, a courser, a destrier, a sumpter, and so forth.  Each name conjured up a general picture of the horse in question, and everyone was familiar with the terminology.

I think that "nag" probably became a pejorative term for a weedy, scrawny horse of little value about 1535, when King Henry Vlll (1491-1547) is recorded as having made the following comments:

"for that in many and most places of this Realm, commonly little Horses and Nags of small stature and value be suffered to depasture and also to cover Mares and Felys (fillies) of very small stature, by reason whereof the Breed of good and strong Horses of this Realm is now lately diminished, altered and decayed, and further is likely to decay, if speedy Remedy be not sooner provided in that Behalf".

Henry stipulated that:

"all owners or Fermers (farmers) of parks and enclosed grounds of the extent of one mile in compass, shall keep two Mares, being not speyed, and able to bear foals of the altitude of height of thirteen handfulls (132cms, ed) at least upon pain of 40s."

Forty shillings, or two pounds sterling, was a considerable sum of money at the time and shows the seriousness with which the matter was viewed, but further fines were also introduced. A fine of 40s was inflicted on owners:

"who shall willingly suffer any of the said Mares to be covered or kept with any stoned Horse (stallion or entire colt) under the stature of fourteen handfulls." (142cms)

Later a further enactment was added for entires running in:

"any forest, chase, moor, heath or waste..... where Mares and Felys are used to be kept..... "

A minimum height of 15 hands high (152cm) or greater was set. Rather than face the consequence of such a crippling fine, owners were forced to the wholesale castration of colts under the proscribed size by means of a sharp knife. (http://www.equine-behavior.com/gelding.h...

Henry was attempting to upgrade the quality of the British horse, wanting specifically to encourage the breeding of horses that could be used in military operations, which required a bigger and sturdier physique than was common at the time.  It is most likely that through Henry's efforts that the term "nag" took on its present pejorative connotation.

Answer 4

A "nag" is a term for a poor racehorse in the context you are asking.....could originally have had Scandinavian origins as it may be a derivative of Neigh..but don't think you are looking for an answer any deeper.

"bags" is NOT a term for a greyhound, that most powerful and graceful creature. is a short form of B.A.G.S. and means Bookmakers Afternoon Greyhound Service...in short ..dogs racing in the afternoon as opposed to Begs..B.E.G.S. which is Bookmakers Evening Greyhound Service.

Hope that is enough to satisfy your curiosity !!!!

Answer 5

there is some serious reading in them answers,ha, a nag simple from the sound they made, a bag because they are no good