glad rags
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Sense 1
Meaning · English
Formal attire, dress clothes.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
“But say, you wouldn’t have known me if you’d seen me here with my wife that time—my glad rags on, a stove-pipe lid, patent leather kicks and a stone on my front. […]
Quoted attestation: 1896, Henry M. Blossom, Jr., Checkers: A Hard-luck Story, Grosset & Dunlap, page 39,
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
Meaning · English
Stylish clothing.
Register: slang
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “glad rags” mean?
Formal attire, dress clothes.
Is “glad rags” formal or informal?
glad rags is generally slang.