on the rag

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on the rag

Where it comes from

From rag as a slang term for a menstrual pad. First use appears c. 1967. See cite below.

phrase

derogatory, euphemistic, idiomatic, slang, sometimes, vulgar Menstruating. She herself had begun menstruation shortly after her eleventh birthday and had gone to the head of the stairs to yell down excitedly: "Hey, Mum, I'm on the rag!"
Similar: on one's period
broadly, derogatory, idiomatic, slang, vulgar In a bad mood; angry or irritable. On the rag, in a bad mood.—College males, Arizona. I had a lousy time last night because she was on the rag.
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see on, the, rag.

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Cite this

MLA

"on the rag." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/on%20the%20rag. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

on the rag. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/on%20the%20rag

Chicago

"on the rag." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/on%20the%20rag.

BibTeX

@misc{on_the_rag_2026,
  title = {on the rag},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/on%20the%20rag},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}