English

Alternative forms

• sheep-shagger
• sheep shagger

Noun

sheepshagger ‎(plural sheepshaggers)

1. (Britain, 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, 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...

2. (Britain, slang, derogatory) A term of abuse for inhabitants of various countries or regions which have large populations of sheep.
   1. A person from Wales.
      • 2007, Extras (TV series), Christmas Special

        Shaun: Kids can be cruel, eh?

        Darren: Yeah. They can.

        Shaun: What do they say?

        Darren: You know what they say.

        Shaun: What, "lanky four-eyed twat"?

        Darren: Yeah.

        Shaun: "Weirdo goggle-eyed gimp"?

        Darren: Sometimes.

        Shaun: "Frankenstein's albino gonk"?

        Darren: I've never heard that one.

        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.

        Shaun: I thought Bristol was inbreeding.

        Darren: Sheepshagging, inbreeding, slavery... we're famous for loads of stuff down there.

        Shaun: Oh, all right.

   2. A person from New Zealand.
   3. A supporter of Derby County F.C., a reference to the club nickname of The Rams.