shank-nag: meaning & examples

Meanings:

• 1.

  BritishAustralianUS regionaldialectalinformal
  • A thin, old, or worn-out horse; a nag that is scrawny, poorly kept, or of little value.

  Examples

  Beta

  • The old shank-nag struggled to keep up with the younger horses during the race.

    El viejo caballo flaco luchaba por mantenerse al ritmo de los caballos más jóvenes durante la carrera.

  • They bought a shank-nag for cheap, knowing it wasn’t suitable for heavy work.

    Compraron un caballo flaco barato, sabiendo que no era adecuado para trabajos pesados.

  • The farmer’s shank-nag looked tired and scrawny after years of hard labor.

    El caballo flaco del granjero parecía cansado y delgado después de años de duro trabajo.

  • You could tell the horse was a shank-nag by its thin legs and rough coat.

    Podías distinguir que el caballo era flaco por sus patas delgadas y pelaje áspero.

• 2.

  generalinformalderogatory
  • A disparaging term for a person regarded as useless, scrawny, or of little consequence; an unkempt or inferior individual (figurative extension).

  Examples

  Beta

  • Everyone called him a shank-nag because he was always slouching and looking unkempt.

    Todos lo llamaban inútil porque siempre estaba encorvado y descuidado.

  • Don’t be such a shank-nag; put some effort into your appearance and attitude.

    No seas tan inútil; pon un poco de esfuerzo en tu apariencia y actitud.

  • She dismissed him as a shank-nag, thinking he was no good for the job.

    Ella lo desestimó como un inútil, pensando que no servía para el trabajo.