A toe rag was originally a foot wrapping used, since mediaeval times up until the
mid-nineteenth century, to protect the foot from chafing by
boots or shoes. As these were, quite literally, rags they werenā
t usually washed, and so with use they became very smelly until they were thrown away. Because of the similarity in smell, toe rag also became the name applied to dried, salted
cod or other things with a strong, unpleasant, fishy smell. It didnāt take that
long before the name was applied to someone who was an obnoxious, unpleasant OIC.
1 āSocks! Those arenāt socks you smelly git, theyāre
toe rags!ā
2 āWhat have you been
cooking? Smells like
toe rag!ā
3 āI can smell āer fanny from āere, proper toe rag.ā
4 That Heale Malcolm is a right toe rag.