Meaning & use
rat bag
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Meanings
nouncountabledisapproving
An unpleasant, unreliable or mean person, often used as a mild insult.
Grammar: Used about a person: he is a rat bag. It is milder than many insults and often jokey.
Patterns
- a rat bag of a someone
That rat bag borrowed my ladder and never brought it back.
Her ex was a complete rat bag who lied about everything.
Don't trust him, he's a bit of a rat bag.
nouncountablehumorous
A mischievous or disreputable person, sometimes a troublemaker or someone with unconventional ideas, said with a touch of fondness.
Grammar: Context decides the tone: said with a grin it can be affectionate.
My cheeky little nephew is a lovable rat bag.
The old rat bag grinned and winked at the customers.
Word forms
| plural | rat bags |
|---|
Common combinations
- a complete rat bag
- He turned out to be a complete rat bag.
- you old rat bag
- You old rat bag, where have you been all week?
- lovable rat bag
- Their dog is a lovable rat bag who steals socks.
- a bit of a rat bag
- The landlord is a bit of a rat bag about repairs.
Synonyms and how they differ
- scoundrel
- Scoundrel is more old-fashioned and sounds theatrical, while rat bag is casual and regional.
- rascal
- Rascal is gentler and usually refers to a playful child, whereas rat bag can describe an actually unpleasant adult.
- rogue
- Rogue suggests a charming dishonest person, while rat bag stresses that the person is mean or untrustworthy.
Opposites
Word family
Practice
In Australian slang, calling a stranger a rat bag is most likely to be taken as what?
Choose one answer.
Rat bag describes an unpleasant person, so to a stranger it is an insult. Only between close friends might it sound like teasing.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “rat bag”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.