ragtag and bobtail

or rag, tag, and bobtail; tagrag and bobtail

See synonyms for ragtag and bobtail on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the riffraff; rabble: The ragtag and bobtail of every nation poured into the frontier in search of gold.

Origin of ragtag and bobtail

1
First recorded in 1810–20

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use ragtag and bobtail in a sentence

  • Think of the rag-tag-and-bobtail they will bring with them!'

    Demos | George Gissing
  • It has the credit of leading public opinion, when it only follows it; and look at the rag-tag-and-bobtail that contribute to it.