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 werenโt 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 didnโt take that
long before the name was applied to someone who was an obnoxious, unpleasant OIC.
1 โSocks! Those arenโt socks you smelly git, theyโre toe rags!โ
2 โWhat have you been cooking? Smells
like toe rag!โ
3 โI can smell โer
fanny from โere, proper toe rag.โ
4 That Heale
Malcolm is a right toe rag.