Rattle your dags 🥁🐑
Meaning
Hurry up or move quickly.
Origin
This delightful phrase hails from New Zealand, a land known for its unique slang. "Dags" refer to the clumps of wool matted with feces that hang from a sheep's hindquarters. Imagine a sheep, perhaps startled or needing to move, shaking its rear end to dislodge these inconvenient clumps – that's the energetic, slightly undignified motion implied! So, when you're told to "rattle your dags," it's a colourful, rural-inspired nudge to get a move on, shaking off any inertia and picking up the pace.
Rattle your dags represented with emoji🥁🐑
This playful arrangement of a drum and a sheep, 🥁🐑, functions as a whimsical nod to the colloquialism 'rattle your dags,' which charmingly urges us to hasten our pace. It captures the fleeting nature of urgency, reminding us to move with alacrity before the moment passes.
Examples
- We're going to be late for the train, so rattle your dags!
- Come on, kids, rattle your dags or you'll miss the ice cream truck.
- The wizard shouted, "Rattle your dags, you slow-poke gnomes, lest the gingerbread man escape!"
- If you don't rattle your dags, the mischievous pixies might tie your shoelaces together with moonlight.
Frequently asked questions
While 'Rattle your dags' is informal and evokes a slightly comical, undignified image, it's generally not considered rude or offensive. It's a colourful slang expression used in New Zealand to mean 'hurry up,' often in a lighthearted way.
You're most likely to hear 'Rattle your dags' used by New Zealanders, often in casual conversation when urging someone to move faster. It's particularly common in rural settings or among people familiar with farm life, adding a touch of rustic charm to the command.
The opposite of 'Rattle your dags' would be to 'take your time' or 'go slowly.' Phrases like 'laze around' or 'dawdle' capture the sentiment of not hurrying, which is the direct antithesis of rattling one's dags.
Yes, 'Rattle your dags' can certainly be used with children, though its meaning might need a brief explanation due to the sheep reference. It's a fun, energetic way to encourage kids to get moving quickly without sounding overly stern.