Posted by Peter H on December 07, 2002 at 18:23:07 from 213.122.128.239 user Peter_H.
In Reply to: Re: shag - an entirely different association posted by Prue Eckett on December 06, 2002 at 20:38:49:
A shag would surely eat a mullet!
But Prue's 'haircut' association is not entirely different. OED gives for 'shag': 1 Rough growth or mass of hair (hence 'shaggy'); 2 Long-napped rough cloth; 3 Coarse kind of cut tobacco.
All these are, apparently, derived from the Old Norse 'skegg' - a beard. The 'cormorant' derivation may also be associated.