Etymology
From sheep + shagger; originally military slang. First used in the 1950s.
Noun
sheepshagger (plural sheepshaggers)
- (British, slang) A man who engages in sexual intercourse with sheep; usually used as a slur for a rural person seen as unsophisticated.
1958, John Le Carré, The Naive and Sentimental Lover:"Landlord, you're a lowlander and a sheep-shagger and you come from Gerrard's Cross. Goodnight."
1958, Mark Bence-Jones, Paradise Escaped, iv. 73:I used to know a Rockburn once... He was in the Sheep Shaggers.
1982, Private Eye, 2 July, 11/1:She is now back and planning a Victory Parade not to mention her own visit to the newly reconquered territories to receive the homage of the grateful sheepshaggers, all fifty-nine of them.
1992, Ian Pattison, More Rab C. Nesbitt Scripts, section 62:Who are you calling a sheepshagger?
2003, Ian Rankin, The Falls:...he'd yelled from his window, giving each sheep-shagger and country bumpkin the finger as he got on the mobile...
- (British, slang, derogatory) A term of abuse for inhabitants of various countries or regions which have large populations of sheep.
- A person from Wales.
2007, Extras (TV series), Christmas Special:Shaun: It's so easy to have a go at a bloke who looks like you, you're just easy pickings, and it's... [trails off and shakes his head]
Darren: "Sheepshagger" they've said sometimes as well.
Shaun: I thought "sheepshagger" was Welsh.
Darren: No, it can be Bristol as well.
- A person from New Zealand.
- A supporter of Derby County F.C., a reference to the club nickname of The Rams.