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Clang vs Clag - What's the difference?

clang | clag |

As nouns the difference between clang and clag

is that clang is a loud, ringing sound, like that made by free-hanging metal objects striking each other while clag is a glue or paste made from starch.

As verbs the difference between clang and clag

is that clang is to strike (objects) together so as to produce a clang while clag is (obsolete) to encumber.

clang

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • A loud, ringing sound, like that made by free-hanging metal objects striking each other.
  • Quality of tone.
  • The cry of some birds, including the crane and the goose.
  • (psychology, psychiatry) A word or phrase linked only by sound and not by meaning, characteristic of some mental disorders.
  • * Oliver Sacks, Awakenings
    • For much of this day, Mrs Y. wrote in her diary, covering page after page in a rapid scrawl full of paligraphic repetitions, puns, clangs, and violent, perseverative crossings-out

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To strike (objects) together so as to produce a clang.
  • * Prior
    • The fierce Caretes clanged their sounding arms.
  • To give out a clang; to resound.
  • * 1933 , Norvell Page, Wings of the Black Death
    • A cell door clanged metallically and Wentworth was flung inside. He tripped, collapsed upon the concrete floor.
  • * 1920 , Edith Wharton, The Age of Innocence Chapter XXIX
    • The clanging and groaning of the train came nearer, and it staggered slowly into the station like a prey- laden monster into its lair.
  • * 1917 , Rose Wilder Lane, Henry Ford’s Own Story
    • Then the sparks flew from the anvil while the great hammer clanged on the metal, shaping it, and Henry begged to be allowed to try it

    clag

    English

    Noun

    (-)
  • A glue or paste made from starch.
  • Low cloud, fog or smog.
  • * 1993: Harry Furniss, Memoirs - One: The Flying Game
    • The sky was thick with dirty gray clag
  • * 2001: Colin Castle, Lucky Alex: The Career of Group Captain A.M. Jardine Afc, CD, Seaman and Airman
    • This programme included practice interceptions, simulator training, day flying, night flying, clag flying -- in addition to... [a footnote states that clag flying was Air Force slang for foul weather flying.]
  • * 2004: David A Barr, One Lucky Canuck: An Autobiography
    • We went along in the clag for what seemed like an eternity [a footnote defines clag'' as ''low cloud cover ]
  • (Railway slang) Unburned carbon (smoke) from a steam or diesel locomotive, or multiple unit.
    • He put the throttle on full and the loco clagged.
  • (Motor Racing slang) Bits of rubber which are shed from tires during a race and collect off the racing line, especially on the outside of corners.
    • He ran wide in the corner, hit the clag and spun off.

    Derived terms

    * snaggy

    Verb

  • (obsolete) To encumber
  • * c1620: Thomas Heywood, Thomas Heywood's Art of Love: The First Complete English Translation of Ovid's Ars Amatoria
    • As when the orchard boughes are clag'd with fruite
  • * 1725: Edward Taylor, Preparatory Meditations
    • Can such draw to me/My stund affections all with Cinders clag'd
  • To stick, like boots in mud
  • * 1999: "A queen of a Santee kitchen, pre-war", quoted by Mary Alston Read Simms in the Introduction to Rice Planter and Sportsman: The Recollections of J. Motte Alston, 1821-1909
    • Wash the rice well in two waters, if you don't wash 'em, 'e will clag [clag means get sticky] and put 'em in a pot of well-salted boiling water.

    Anagrams

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