American English? Explain the origin of "Wandering the drag" & "Strolling the drag"

[Anonymous]

"Drag racing (1947), is said to be from thieves' slang drag "automobile" (1935), perhaps ultimately from slang sense of "wagon, buggy" (1755), because a horse would drag it. By 1851 this was transferred to "street," as in the phrase main drag (which some propose as the source of the racing sense)."

https://www.etymonline.com/word/drag#:~:text=Drag%20racing%20(1947)%2C%20is,source%20of%20the%20racing%20sense).

[Anonymous]

Did you start the “pouring custard” thread as well?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I was first learning English those phrases would throw me off because it did not make any sense to me at all.

What is the origin of those phrases?

As a non native English speaker the word "strip" makes more sense to me than "drag"

I'm a non native English speaker and never heard these phrases while learning English. Out of curiosity, where did you learn English? (I'm from Germany)

[Anonymous]

OP has to be some sort of foreign bot…she’s definitely not a real person who actually heard either of those phrases because they don’t exist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, what was the context in which you heard those phrases?

I’ve never heard them either, from the northeast. I’ve never heard them in an old movie or tv show, either.

I’ve only ever heard “main drag” never the phrases OP lists. And I read a lot of old books so I don’t think it’s a historical thing either. Please give us context, OP!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People talk like that in Maryland.

I am 50 l, have spent all those years in Maryland except for college, and no. No, they do not.

Samesies

[Anonymous]

I'm in my late 40's and have lived in various parts of the US (New England, California, and now the DC area) and have never heard anyone use those terms. Like other's I've heard (and probably used myself) the term "main drag" but never in the manner you have in your title.

[Anonymous]

In Holyoke, there is a tradition that dates back to the early 1920s, "walking the drag." Residents would don their best clothes and walk down Northampton to Mountain Park for the first day of the amusement park's season.

With the closing of the park, the route changed from a walk from the corner of Cherry and Northampton streets to the intersection with Shawmut Avenue.

[Anonymous]

We used to say "cruising the drag" in my small hometown. It meant driving up and down the same route through the center of town to see everyone else driving. Kind of Dazed and Confused style.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We used to say "cruising the drag" in my small hometown. It meant driving up and down the same route through the center of town to see everyone else driving. Kind of Dazed and Confused style.

I am positive I have heard law enforcement officers while on patrol mention "young women working the drag" during episodes of COPS that used to air on FOX on Saturdays.

[Anonymous]

"Drag", "strip", and "road" are all synonyms

[Anonymous]

Op is just ChatGPT trying to get smarter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've never heard anyone say either of these.

Native English speaker. English major.55. Reader.

Never heard these phrases.

[Anonymous]

OP: Perhaps you misunderstood?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People talk like that in Maryland.

I am 50 l, have spent all those years in Maryland except for college, and no. No, they do not.

Samesies

Samesies?