blag

'What's he do, Micky?' / 'Armed blags is what I hear – s'posed to be one or two nice little tucks down to him that he didn't go for. He keeps well active. Someone told me he's putting one together now.[…]'

1977, G[ordon] F[rank] Newman, chapter 4, in Law and Order, St. Albans, Hertfordshire: Granada Publishing, published 1983, →ISBN, page 40:

Through Lenny I had met a character whom I shall call Billy. He was part of a blag team famous for a series of large-scale wage snatches.

1997, Stephen Smith, “Helter Skelter Years”, in Addict: An Incredible True Story with a Fairytale End, [United Kingdom]: Westworld International, →ISBN:

They're turning over any business that couldn't go running back to the Other People, sex shops and massage parlours, doing blags long after they went outta fashion, doing loads of drugs and not giving a fuck about keeping a low profile.

2000 April, J. J. Connolly, “April Fool’s Day 1997: Welcome to the Layer Cake”, in Layer Cake, London: Duck Editions, Duckworth Literary Entertainments, published July 2001, →ISBN, page 6:

Darlin' – I know your old man's keen for you to learn the ropes an' all that, but let's not forget who's running this blag, shall we?

2005, Echo Freer, chapter 1, in Diamond Geezers, London: Hodder Children’s Books, Hodder Headline, →ISBN, page 2:

(British, criminal slang) An armed robbery or robbery involving violence; also, theft.

The origin of the noun is unknown. The verb is derived from the noun.


blag

(transitive, British, criminal slang) To obtain (something) through armed robbery or robbery involving violence, or theft; to rob; to steal.

en-verb

blag (third-person singular simple present blags, present participle blagging, simple past and past participle blagged)

blags (present singular third-person)
blagging (participle present)
blagged (participle past)
blagged (past)


blag

Can I blag a fag?

He’s blagged his way into many a party.

He was just off to the Tramway to see that Dutch dance company. He said we could probably blag free tickets, they're desperate to paper the house.

1998, Ajay Close, chapter 21, in Forspoken, London: Vintage Books, published 1999, →ISBN, page 258:

A couple of others [websites] are hosted by U-Net (www.vianetworks.co.uk), which provided free space because I'm an unprincipled journo and I blagged it.

2004 January, Huw Collingbourne, “Rants and Raves: The Host with the Most”, in PC Plus, number 211, Bath, Somerset: Future plc, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 241, column 1:

He later recalled that blagging a cab ride to Warrington Dallam shed on Stanier '8F' 48531 was a life-changing experience.

2023 January 25, Howard Johnston, “Peter Kelly: August 2 1944 – December 28 2022”, in Rail, number 975, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire: Bauer Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 46:

To obtain (something) for free, particularly by guile or persuasion.

The newspaper is accused of blagging details of the prime minister’s flat purchase from his solicitors.

I worked for a trace agency. The years became a blur. Your every day is spent ringing people to blag information out of them. You can do this in a nice way, but truth is, you choose the quickest.

2004, Anna Maxted, chapter 2, in Being Committed, New York, N.Y.: ReganBooks, →ISBN, page 13:

Matt Driscoll claimed that "blagging", or impersonating a third party, was used to secure the confidential information after receiving a tip that [Alex] Ferguson might be suffering from ill health. The former journalist added: "I was told sometimes you'd get a situation where if an investigator sent a fax to a GP or a hospital saying 'I'm his specialist, I need these details' it was incredible how often that would just get sent straight back."

2012, Alan Gillies, “Threats to the Security of Your Information”, in Data Protection for Slightly Bigger Companies, [Morrisville, N.C.]: Lulu.com, →ISBN, page 47:

[H]e also became a specialist in blagging British Telecom and mobile phone companies, from whom he extracted ex-directory numbers, lists of Friends and Family numbers, and rocs. He claimed that his thousands of victims included the Queen, Princess Diana and David Beckham.

2014, Nick Davies, “Crime in Fleet Street”, in Hack Attack: How the Truth Caught Up with Rupert Murdoch, London: Vintage Books, →ISBN, part 1 (Crime and Concealment), page 80:

(specifically) To obtain (confidential information) by impersonation or other deception; also, to deceive (someone) into disclosing confidential information.

‘For the first six years I was a total chancer,’ he [Alan McGee] said. ‘I blagged it. All I did was keep choosing the right band and try not to fuck it up too much, which I usually did. […] [N]obody taught me to run a record company and I’ve made millions of mistakes.’

1996, Paul Mathur, “Creation and Faith”, in Take Me There: Oasis, the Story, London: Bloomsbury Publishing, published 1997, →ISBN, page 21:

Carly (played by Vinette Robinson): Now we’ve got just about enough lamb? / Freeman: No, we haven’t got enough lamb. / Carly: We’ve got eno— – we’ve got enough. / Andy Jones (played by Stephen Graham): All right. I’m sorry, lad. What’s your fucking problem? / Freeman: What’s my problem, Andy? It’s time and time a-fucking-gain. You’re not doing your job. / Carly: Freeman, Freeman. / Andy Jones: I can’t do them now, I didn’t do them last night, did I? I’m sorry, I apologise. I apologise. Have I said I’m sorry? Have I said I’m sorry? / Freeman: We’ve blagged it. It’s fine. We’ve got a menu for tonight.

2021 August 23, Philip Barantini, James Cummings, 12:18 from the start, in Philip Barantini, director, Boiling Point (film), spoken by Freeman (Ray Panthaki):

To obtain (something desired), or avoid (something undesired), through improvisation or luck; to fluke, to get away with.

He asks me afterwards if I realize what a lot of 'blagging' (bull) there is in his job. I reply, 'You blagging him or him blagging you?' / 'Oh no, blagging him,' he says. 'When you give him a ticket or something, you have to be nice to them.'

1987, Roger Grimshaw, Tony Jefferson, “Patrol Report”, in Interpreting Policework: Policy and Practice in Forms of Beat Policing, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire: Allen & Unwin, →ISBN, part II (The Unit Beat System), page 58:

To use guile or persuasion on (someone); also, to deceive or perpetrate a hoax on (someone).

Derek Jarman had also publicly identified himself as HIV-positive, while at the same time celebrating what the mainstream press saw and criticized as a promiscuous irresponsibility in blagging trade on Hampstead Heath, an infamous (and very popular) gay cruising ground in North London.

1997, Ian Lucas, “The Color of His Eyes: Polari and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence”, in Anna Livia, Kira Hall, editors, Queerly Phrased: Language, Gender, and Sexuality, New York, N.Y., Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 89:

(Polari) To meet and seduce (someone) for romantic purposes, especially in a social situation; to pick up.

Some of my readers will undoubtedly call in question the veracity of what follows, and brand it with the title which is commonly called blagging still. This appellation cannot debilitate its sincerity; […]

1864, Jeremiah O’Donovan, A Brief Account of the Author’s Interview with His Countrymen, and of the Parts of the Emerald Isle whence They Emigrated. […], Pittsburgh, Pa.: Published by the author, →OCLC, page 44:

(intransitive) To speak persuasively or with guile to obtain something.

keplotella

to obtain (something) for free, particularly by guile or persuasion

keplotella

to obtain (confidential information) by impersonation or other deception; to deceive (someone) into disclosing confidential information

keplotella

to speak persuasively or with guile to obtain something

The origin of the verb is uncertain; it is possibly:
* from blag (“to rob; to steal”) (see etymology 1); or
* borrowed from French blaguer (“to joke (about); to tell a lie”), from blague (“pouch, especially for tobacco; joke (from the notion of something puffed up, and thus fanciful)”) (from Dutch balg (“leather bag”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰelǵʰ- (“to swell”)) + -er (suffix forming infinitives of first-conjugation verbs).
The adjective and noun are probably derived from the verb.


blag

You’re wearing a blag designer shirt!

en-adj

blag (comparative more blag, superlative most blag)

more blag (comparative)
most blag (superlative)


blag

A good blag to get into a nightclub is to walk in carrying a record box.

An attempt to obtain, or the means of obtaining, something by guile or persuasion; a trick.

Because I used to run cons with him. I came up here as a nun, but that was just a blag to make money out of the miners.

2013, Janis Pegrum Smith, More than Gold, [United Kingdom]: T*P Books, Wilton End Publishing, →ISBN:

Anyone who claims to be operating on a model designed to fulfil the will of Jesus, or Allah, or Krishna, or anyone, who isn't first and foremost dedicated to the union of all humankind and service of the needy is on a massive blag.

2014, Russell Brand, “Tiny Problems in Infinite Space”, in Revolution, London: Century, Random House, →ISBN, page 68:

An act of deceiving; a con, a deception, a hoax.

keplottelu

attempt to obtain, or the means of obtaining, something by guile or persuasion — see also trick


blag

Why don't you write about it in your blag?

2006 August 25, Randall Munroe, “Mispronouncing”, in xkcd, archived from the original on 2023-03-16:

RONFLMAF! You do have a way with words. I think I need to update my blag, this is just too good.

2010 November 16, “Slogoin” [pseudonym], “Tashi, Take a Look at This on Larry Deack’s Web Site”, in rec.music.classical.guitar (Usenet), retrieved 2023-03-17:

So, no less than ten people have asked me why the hell I did what I did, so here's a blag post to explain it, I guess.

2011 June 2, “flatfish+++” [pseudonym], “Article: ‘Why I’m a Bad Freetard – Or the Quest for a New Phone’”, in comp.os.linux.advocacy (Usenet):

(humorous, informal) Deliberate misspelling of blog.

Coined by the American author, cartoonist, and engineer Randall Munroe (born 1984) in his webcomic xkcd in 2006: see the quotation.


blag

Skrenite blago ulijevo.

Nemam blage ideje o čemu pričaš!

I don't have any idea what you're talking about.

(intensifier, colloquial) any, damn, faintest

sh-adj

blȃg (Cyrillic spelling бла̑г, definite blȃgī, comparative blȁžī)

blȃg (canonical)
бла̑г (Cyrillic)
blȃgī (definite)
blȁžī (comparative)
blag (indefinite masculine nominative positive singular)
blaga (feminine indefinite nominative positive singular)
blago (indefinite neuter nominative positive singular)
blaga (genitive indefinite masculine positive singular)
blage (feminine genitive indefinite positive singular)
blaga (genitive indefinite neuter positive singular)
blagu (dative indefinite masculine positive singular)
blagoj (dative feminine indefinite positive singular)
blagu (dative indefinite neuter positive singular)
blag (accusative inanimate indefinite masculine positive singular)
blagu (accusative feminine indefinite positive singular)
blago (accusative indefinite neuter positive singular)
blaga (accusative animate indefinite masculine positive singular)
blag (indefinite masculine positive singular vocative)
blaga (feminine indefinite positive singular vocative)
blago (indefinite neuter positive singular vocative)
blagu (indefinite locative masculine positive singular)
blagoj (feminine indefinite locative positive singular)
blagu (indefinite locative neuter positive singular)
blagim (indefinite instrumental masculine positive singular)
blagom (feminine indefinite instrumental positive singular)
blagim (indefinite instrumental neuter positive singular)
blagi (indefinite masculine nominative plural positive)
blage (feminine indefinite nominative plural positive)
blaga (indefinite neuter nominative plural positive)
blagih (genitive indefinite masculine plural positive)
blagih (feminine genitive indefinite plural positive)
blagih (genitive indefinite neuter plural positive)
blagim (dative indefinite masculine plural positive)
blagima (dative indefinite masculine plural positive)
blagim (dative feminine indefinite plural positive)
blagima (dative feminine indefinite plural positive)
blagim (dative indefinite neuter plural positive)
blagima (dative indefinite neuter plural positive)
blage (accusative indefinite masculine plural positive)
blage (accusative feminine indefinite plural positive)
blaga (accusative indefinite neuter plural positive)
blagi (indefinite masculine plural positive vocative)
blage (feminine indefinite plural positive vocative)
blaga (indefinite neuter plural positive vocative)
blagim (indefinite locative masculine plural positive)
blagima (indefinite locative masculine plural positive)
blagim (feminine indefinite locative plural positive)
blagima (feminine indefinite locative plural positive)
blagim (indefinite locative neuter plural positive)
blagima (indefinite locative neuter plural positive)
blagim (indefinite instrumental masculine plural positive)
blagima (indefinite instrumental masculine plural positive)
blagim (feminine indefinite instrumental plural positive)
blagima (feminine indefinite instrumental plural positive)
blagim (indefinite instrumental neuter plural positive)
blagima (indefinite instrumental neuter plural positive)
blagi (definite masculine nominative positive singular)
blaga (definite feminine nominative positive singular)
blago (definite neuter nominative positive singular)
blagog (definite genitive masculine positive singular)
blagoga (definite genitive masculine positive singular)
blage (definite feminine genitive positive singular)
blagog (definite genitive neuter positive singular)
blagoga (definite genitive neuter positive singular)
blagomu (dative definite masculine positive singular)
blagome (dative definite masculine positive singular)
blagoj (dative definite feminine positive singular)
blagomu (dative definite neuter positive singular)
blagome (dative definite neuter positive singular)
blagi (accusative definite inanimate masculine positive singular)
blagu (accusative definite feminine positive singular)
blago (accusative definite neuter positive singular)
blagog (accusative animate definite masculine positive singular)
blagoga (accusative animate definite masculine positive singular)
blagi (definite masculine positive singular vocative)
blaga (definite feminine positive singular vocative)
blago (definite neuter positive singular vocative)
blagome (definite locative masculine positive singular)
blagomu (definite locative masculine positive singular)
blagoj (definite feminine locative positive singular)
blagome (definite locative neuter positive singular)
blagomu (definite locative neuter positive singular)
blagim (definite instrumental masculine positive singular)
blagom (definite feminine instrumental positive singular)
blagim (definite instrumental neuter positive singular)
blagi (definite masculine nominative plural positive)
blage (definite feminine nominative plural positive)
blaga (definite neuter nominative plural positive)
blagih (definite genitive masculine plural positive)
blagih (definite feminine genitive plural positive)
blagih (definite genitive neuter plural positive)
blagim (dative definite masculine plural positive)
blagima (dative definite masculine plural positive)
blagim (dative definite feminine plural positive)
blagima (dative definite feminine plural positive)
blagim (dative definite neuter plural positive)
blagima (dative definite neuter plural positive)
blage (accusative definite masculine plural positive)
blage (accusative definite feminine plural positive)
blaga (accusative definite neuter plural positive)
blagi (definite masculine plural positive vocative)
blage (definite feminine plural positive vocative)
blaga (definite neuter plural positive vocative)
blagim (definite locative masculine plural positive)
blagima (definite locative masculine plural positive)
blagim (definite feminine locative plural positive)
blagima (definite feminine locative plural positive)
blagim (definite locative neuter plural positive)
blagima (definite locative neuter plural positive)
blagim (definite instrumental masculine plural positive)
blagima (definite instrumental masculine plural positive)
blagim (definite feminine instrumental plural positive)
blagima (definite feminine instrumental plural positive)
blagim (definite instrumental neuter plural positive)
blagima (definite instrumental neuter plural positive)
blaži (comparative masculine nominative singular)
blaža (comparative feminine nominative singular)
blaže (comparative neuter nominative singular)
blažeg (comparative genitive masculine singular)
blažega (comparative genitive masculine singular)
blaže (comparative feminine genitive singular)
blažeg (comparative genitive neuter singular)
blažega (comparative genitive neuter singular)
blažem (comparative dative masculine singular)
blažemu (comparative dative masculine singular)
blažoj (comparative dative feminine singular)
blažem (comparative dative neuter singular)
blažemu (comparative dative neuter singular)
blaži (accusative comparative inanimate masculine singular)
blažu (accusative comparative feminine singular)
blaže (accusative comparative neuter singular)
blažeg (accusative animate comparative masculine singular)
blažega (accusative animate comparative masculine singular)
blaži (comparative masculine singular vocative)
blaža (comparative feminine singular vocative)
blaže (comparative neuter singular vocative)
blažem (comparative locative masculine singular)
blažemu (comparative locative masculine singular)
blažoj (comparative feminine locative singular)
blažem (comparative locative neuter singular)
blažemu (comparative locative neuter singular)
blažim (comparative instrumental masculine singular)
blažom (comparative feminine instrumental singular)
blažim (comparative instrumental neuter singular)
blaži (comparative masculine nominative plural)
blaže (comparative feminine nominative plural)
blaža (comparative neuter nominative plural)
blažih (comparative genitive masculine plural)
blažih (comparative feminine genitive plural)
blažih (comparative genitive neuter plural)
blažim (comparative dative masculine plural)
blažima (comparative dative masculine plural)
blažim (comparative dative feminine plural)
blažima (comparative dative feminine plural)
blažim (comparative dative neuter plural)
blažima (comparative dative neuter plural)
blaže (accusative comparative masculine plural)
blaže (accusative comparative feminine plural)
blaža (accusative comparative neuter plural)
blaži (comparative masculine plural vocative)
blaže (comparative feminine plural vocative)
blaža (comparative neuter plural vocative)
blažim (comparative locative masculine plural)
blažima (comparative locative masculine plural)
blažim (comparative feminine locative plural)
blažima (comparative feminine locative plural)
blažim (comparative locative neuter plural)
blažima (comparative locative neuter plural)
blažim (comparative instrumental masculine plural)
blažima (comparative instrumental masculine plural)
blažim (comparative feminine instrumental plural)
blažima (comparative feminine instrumental plural)
blažim (comparative instrumental neuter plural)
blažima (comparative instrumental neuter plural)
najblaži (masculine nominative singular superlative)
najblaža (feminine nominative singular superlative)
najblaže (neuter nominative singular superlative)
najblažeg (genitive masculine singular superlative)
najblažega (genitive masculine singular superlative)
najblaže (feminine genitive singular superlative)
najblažeg (genitive neuter singular superlative)
najblažega (genitive neuter singular superlative)
najblažem (dative masculine singular superlative)
najblažemu (dative masculine singular superlative)
najblažoj (dative feminine singular superlative)
najblažem (dative neuter singular superlative)
najblažemu (dative neuter singular superlative)
najblaži (accusative inanimate masculine singular superlative)
najblažu (accusative feminine singular superlative)
najblaže (accusative neuter singular superlative)
najblažeg (accusative animate masculine singular superlative)
najblažega (accusative animate masculine singular superlative)
najblaži (masculine singular superlative vocative)
najblaža (feminine singular superlative vocative)
najblaže (neuter singular superlative vocative)
najblažem (locative masculine singular superlative)
najblažemu (locative masculine singular superlative)
najblažoj (feminine locative singular superlative)
najblažem (locative neuter singular superlative)
najblažemu (locative neuter singular superlative)
najblažim (instrumental masculine singular superlative)
najblažom (feminine instrumental singular superlative)
najblažim (instrumental neuter singular superlative)
najblaži (masculine nominative plural superlative)
najblaže (feminine nominative plural superlative)
najblaža (neuter nominative plural superlative)
najblažih (genitive masculine plural superlative)
najblažih (feminine genitive plural superlative)
najblažih (genitive neuter plural superlative)
najblažim (dative masculine plural superlative)
najblažima (dative masculine plural superlative)
najblažim (dative feminine plural superlative)
najblažima (dative feminine plural superlative)
najblažim (dative neuter plural superlative)
najblažima (dative neuter plural superlative)
najblaže (accusative masculine plural superlative)
najblaže (accusative feminine plural superlative)
najblaža (accusative neuter plural superlative)
najblaži (masculine plural superlative vocative)
najblaže (feminine plural superlative vocative)
najblaža (neuter plural superlative vocative)
najblažim (locative masculine plural superlative)
najblažima (locative masculine plural superlative)
najblažim (feminine locative plural superlative)
najblažima (feminine locative plural superlative)
najblažim (locative neuter plural superlative)
najblažima (locative neuter plural superlative)
najblažim (instrumental masculine plural superlative)
najblažima (instrumental masculine plural superlative)
najblažim (feminine instrumental plural superlative)
najblažima (feminine instrumental plural superlative)
najblažim (instrumental neuter plural superlative)
najblažima (instrumental neuter plural superlative)

positive indefinite forms

positive definite forms

comparative forms

superlative forms


blag

sl-adj

blȃg (comparative blážji or blȃžji, superlative nȁjblážji or nȁjblȃžji)

blȃg (canonical)
blážji (comparative)
blȃžji (comparative)
nȁjblážji (superlative)
nȁjblȃžji (superlative)