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Ratbag ...

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naz_nomad | 18:53 Sun 14th Jan 2007 | Phrases & Sayings
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Any idea where this term originated, and why it's considered an insult?

Thanks .. Naz x
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It originated as Australian/New Zealand slang in the 1930s to mean a troublesome, uncouth or stupid person.
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so ... nothing to do with rats then?
Well, describing someone as a rat has been a form of abuse since the 1500s. Shakespeare himself used the word thus.
Presumably - given the way Aussies often tend to go over the top with their phraseology - they imagined a bagful of rats was that much more nasty than just the one! Perhaps rat-catchers on cattle stations finished a day's work carrying a literal 'ratbag'...not a pleasant thought!

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