Etymology Dictionary

TAG,  a point of metal at the end of a lace, anything tacked on at the end of a thing.  (Scand.)   'An aglet or tag of a poynt;' Baret, ed. 1580.   'Are all thy points so voide of Reasons taggs?'   Gascoigne, Fruites of War, st. 61.   A 'point' was a tagged lace; cf. 'Tag of a poynt, Ferretum; Levins.—Swed. tagg, a prickle, point, tooth. + Low G. takk, a point, tooth.   β. The Low G. takk is the same word as E. tack, a small nail, and G. zacke, a tooth, tine, prong.   Perhaps all these words are of Celtic origin.   See Tack, Tache.   Der. tag, verb; tag-rag, used by Stanyhurst (tr. of Virgil, ed. Arber, p. 21) to mean 'to small pieces,' but usual in the sense of 'every appendage and shred,' a shortened form of tag and rag, as in 'they all came in, both tagge and ragge,' Spenser, State of Ireland, Globe ed., p. 662, col. 2.   So also tag and rag, Whitgift's Works, i. 315 (Parker Soc.)   So also tag-rag-and-bobtail, where bobtail = short or bunchy tail, from bob, a bunch; see note to Bob.