oily rag

noun

An employee in a menial, unskilled role in a factory or workshop.

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Meanings

nounoily rag (plural oily rags)

plural oily rags

  1. derogatoryslangAn employee in a menial, unskilled role in a factory or workshop.
  2. CockneyslangA cigarette; fag.

Origin

Named for such employees often carrying a rag with them to wipe up spillages of oil or grease.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

oily rag. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/oily%20rag

MLA

“oily rag.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/oily%20rag. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “oily rag,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/oily%20rag.

Source: oily rag on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.