Slang for immunisations

[PrettyCandlesAndTinselToo]

Surely it's 'jabs', not 'jags'?

Jabs in England, jags in Scotland.

Jabs, because they 'jab' the needle into your arm.

Jags are something John Prescott drives.

Tribpot is right, it's jags in scotland

But why jags?

I think "jag" in Scots is just generally to prick something, so "jags" for vaccinations is a natural extension of that.

(I may be completely wrong though)

Discussed here recently

Well done seb1, I had no explanation for why it's jag in Scotland. Jab seems self-evidently the right word to me and, as the thread shows, equally not the right word for people in Scotland because it sounds like someone poking you with a blunt finger.

In Scotland, we talk about sharp things being 'jaggy.' This could explain why we say jags for injections.

I am Scottish and to me a jab would be a boxer punching you

Actually, so as not to worry the wee mites I call them 'Partick Thistles'.

Partick Thistle is a football team and their nickname is 'The Jags'.

Yes, jags in Scotlnd.

I missed that thread! What a coincidence

Very interesting.

Jags just sounds so, so wrong.

It's perfectly logical. We have 'jagged' (even in England!) to mean 'sharp and pointy' too, don't we? And 'jabbing' someone isn't necesarily sharp and pointy, you could jab someone with your finger, I think - so arguably 'jag' is actually better