Question: I am interested in the origins of the phrase “tag along.” Did this usage originate in America or earlier?
Answer: The early versions of “tag along” were first documented in England in the 17th century. However, the concept dates back to medieval times when “tags” referred to the decorative strips of cloth in a skirt’s hem.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the original “tag” was described as “one of the narrow, often pointed, laciniæ or pendent pieces made by slashing the skirt of a garment.”
The first recorded instance of “tag” as a verb dates back to the early 16th century. The OED defines “to tag” as “to furnish or mark with a tag.”
By the 17th century, the verb evolved to mean “to trail or drag behind; to follow closely, follow in one’s train,” often used with words like “after,” “along,” “around,” or “on.”
The earliest known use of “tag along” is found in Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn (1884), while the first documented use in the Oxford dictionary is from George Ade’s More Fables (1900).
During World War II, the term “tag-along” emerged as an adjective to describe something towed or trailed behind another object.
In the mid-20th century, “tagalong” became an adjective used to describe an uninvited follower. The OED cites an example from a Canadian newspaper in 1973.
The noun “tagalong” initially referred to an unwelcome companion but now signifies someone who follows another’s lead. In British English, it can also refer to something attached and pulled behind another object, like a child’s bicycle attached to an adult’s.
For more information on the history and usage of “tag along,” please visit the original source at Grammarphobia.
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The post The stylish origin of ‘tag along’ first appeared on Grammarphobia.
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