Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A bag for leftover food that a customer of a restaurant may take home after a meal.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A bag (or other container) used to take home uneaten food from a restaurant meal.
  • noun A bag used to pick up the droppings of dogs in parks and public places.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a bag for food that a customer did not eat at a restaurant; the transparent pretense is that the food is taken home to feed the customer's dog

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From the assumption that such food would be given to the customer's dog.]

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Examples

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Comments

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  • God bless doggy bags!

    April 10, 2008

  • Surely the plural of doggy bag is doggies bag?

    April 10, 2008

  • 'Surely that backward plural construction requires a noun-adjective sequence in the original phrase (e.g. governors general)?' asks frindley with unnecessary earnestness.

    April 11, 2008

  • I think it's only when the term is hyphenated--is it not? E.g. courts-martial, governors-general

    April 11, 2008

  • @frindley: You are, of course, entirely correct. It's a little quiet here this morning, and I was remembering the fun data discussion with fondness.

    I know, it seems incredible that a person might deliberately poke at lexicographical alligators with a stick, just because it's a slow morning. But it happens on wordie all the time. Why, I've even seen cases of totally madeupical words and etymologies.

    One has to wonder what kind of lexipathologists this site attracts. After all, how much do we really know about what lurks behind those faux-cutesy monikers? Bilbys and trivets and chained bears, oh my! Could they not all be minions of the mad Professor Malingo, intent on corrupting the minds and wills of the world's youth by promulgating linguistic heresies across the interwebs?

    April 11, 2008

  • And this is where the time difference gets me – no slow morning here, alas.

    ;-)

    April 11, 2008

  • My God you're right sionnach - Wordie may be part of a world wide lexipathological conspiracy to deform & destroy our language.

    We need to take up verbal arms before it's too late.

    April 11, 2008

  • @chained_bear (or whoever you really are):

    What do you suppose is the plural of chaise longue? Though maybe your evil overlord would prefer to call it a chaise lounge.

    April 11, 2008

  • Eesh, you guys; get with the program. Wordie is part of a worldwide lexipathological conspiracy to deform & destroy our language. Didn't you read the disclaimer when you signed on?

    Yours truly,

    You Don't Know Who I Am

    April 11, 2008

  • I'm going to open a new online pub, inspired by palooka's comment. I'm calling it 'The Verbal Arms'. The landlord will be a virtual unknown. It'll be designed along the lines of a speakeasy. It will serve unreal ale. There will be a number of skittles alley. Mr Malaprops, one of several local maitre d's, has already agreed to provide our clientele with foods for thought.

    April 11, 2008

  • Oh my gods, I doesn't understand wozz' appening here!

    April 11, 2008

  • Give me the URL gangerh when you open. I'd love to get virtually intoxicated at the Verbal Arms.

    You're right reesetee; I re-read the Wordie disclaimer. I think I've done enough verbal demolition to fulfill the Wordie Terms of Use.

    April 11, 2008

  • Good, palooka. Then you're in. :-D

    April 11, 2008

  • And, of course, a sionnakki koskenkorva.

    April 11, 2008

  • Set one up, Pro.

    April 11, 2008

  • Great idea, sionnach. And make my gimlet a doppel.

    April 11, 2008

  • And a bloody fbharjy for my friend.

    April 11, 2008