Run Ragged

According to the dictionary

ragged- to be tattered, frayed, or torn

run ragged – to be worn out from stress or strain

I know these words already. Most mothers – and teachers- will recognise them too!

But last month I came across the word ragged in print – and it made no sense in the given context. Then the ‘educational professional’ present actually said it…and it still made no sense to me.

“These results have been ragged” she said. She pronounced it to rhyme with flagged/snagged/bragged etc.

I remember back in the 80’s that friends ragged the walls of their lounge with paint.

ragged – to have given a decorative effect to a surface by applying paint of a different colour, with a rag.

But that still made no sense. So I asked what she meant.

[I tell my pupils that even if you feel stupid asking the teacher a question, you can be sure that there are at least two others in the class who want to ask that question too, but are not brave enough, and they will be really grateful to you. Appreciative glances from my colleagues showed this to be true for my question!]

OK, readers – in case you don’t know either – if a document has been ragged, it means that sections have been marked in colour -

red, amber, green, depending on their significance.

In these results-obsessed days in the education world, expect much more ragging.

And if the current government consultation regarding food labelling works out, you are going to be eating more ragged food too!

 

Just for the fun of it, I have ragged Michel Gove!