Dictionary

glad rags en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Etymology

US origin, late 19th c.

Meanings

1. (plural, plural-only, slang) Formal attire, dress clothes.
   • ‘I bet you are busy,’ he said. He paused at the door: ‘I shall need some money for glad rags.’ ¶ ‘Glad rags?’ ¶ ‘White tie and the rest of it.’ 1935, Graham Greene, England Made Me, Penguin Classics (1992), page 83
   • 1896, Henry M. Blossom, Jr., Checkers: A Hard-luck Story, Grosset & Dunlap, page 39, “But say, you wouldn’t have known me if you’d seen me here with my wife that time—my glad rags on, a stove-pipe lid, patent leather kicks and a stone on my front. […]
   • 1920, Helen Reimensnyder Martin, The Schoolmaster of Hessville, Doubleday, page 285, “[…] Or she’ll say, ‘Well, I must go now and put on my glad rags.’ Glad rags yet, John! Yes, that’s what she calls her best frock! Ain’t it funny? […]”
   • 1959, Shelagh Delaney, A Taste of Honey, Grove Press, →ISBN, page 30, Helen: Help yourself to a drink, Peter, and I'll go and put my glad rags on. [Exit.]
   • 2007, Brett Atkinson, Central Europe, Lonely Planet Publications, →ISBN, page 143, Brno has an excellent theater and classical music, and you’re expected to put your glad rags on.
   • 1897 April, W. H. Carruth and Paul Wilkinson, "Dialect Word-List.—No. 4", in Kansas University Quarterly, Series B:—Philology and History, Volume VI, Number 2, University of Kansas, page 88, glad rags: “Sunday-go-to-meeting” clothes.—General.
2. (plural, plural-only, slang) Stylish clothing.
   • 2007, Anthony Ham and Alison Bing, Morocco, Lonely Planet Publications, →ISBN, page 85, Put on your glad rags and git down with the in-crowd at Casablanca’s hip Boulevard de la Corniche (p101)
   • 1969, Iceberg Slim, Mama Black Widow: A Story of the South’s Black Underworld, Holloway House Publishing (2004), →ISBN, page 183, Lock Jaw said, “Bessie, how would you like to get dressed up in a grand worth of glad rags and go to a fancy blowout with me?”
   • 2002, Judith Clarke, Wolf on the Fold, Front Street, →ISBN, pages 41–42, ‘She might forget,’ said Clightie. ‘You know how she does. While she's in there putting her glad rags on; she might come out, all dressed up, and not remember what she’s dressed up for.’

Forms

Synonyms

Sunday best