sprog

Etymology

1940s, originally service slang. Perhaps from obsolete sprag (“lively young man”), of unknown origin.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General Australian) enPR: sprŏg, IPA^(key): /spɹɒɡ/

  • Audio (General Australian):

    (file)

• (US, Canada) IPA^(key): /sprɔɡ/
• (cot–caught merger) IPA^(key): /sprɑɡ/
• Rhymes: -ɒɡ, -ɔɡ, -ɑɡ

Noun

sprog (countable and uncountable, plural sprogs)

1. (UK, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, informal, humorous) A child.
   • 1984 September 13, Donald Gould, Forum: Suck it and see, page 54:

     To test this hypothesis further, he and his mate Fifer persuaded 16 women, heavy with child, to read a story called The Cat in the Hat to their unborn sprogs, twice a day, during the last few weeks of their pregnancies.

   • 2008, Julian Knight, Wills, Probate, & Inheritance Tax For Dummies, UK, unnumbered page:

     Any guardianship or trusts that you set up when your children were little sprogs may no longer be needed.

   • 2010, Brett Atkinson, Sarah Bennett, Scott Kennedy, New Zealand′s South Island, Lonely Planet, page 220:

     Kids will love the climbing wall and NZ′s highest vertical slide. If the sprogs get bored with reality, movie make-believe (p232) is right next door.

2. (UK, military, RAF, slang, derogatory) A new recruit.
3. (uncountable, Australia, slang, dated) Semen.
4. (countable, slang) A deflection-limiting safety device used in high performance hang gliders.

Verb

sprog (third-person singular simple present sprogs, present participle sprogging, simple past and past participle sprogged)

1. (UK, Australia, slang, humorous) To produce children.
   • 2007, Libby Purves, Love Songs and Lies, unnumbered page:

     You must have been terrified, it′s not like today with film stars sprogging babies everywhere.

   • 2008, Lucy Diamond, Over You, unnumbered page:

     ‘How′s it all going with your boyo in the valleys? Any plans for sprogging or vows or anything serious yet?’

   • 2009, Peter James, Dead Tomorrow, unnumbered page:

     ‘Women lose their sexual drive after they′ve sprogged,’ Norman Potting interjected.

2. (Australia, slang) To ejaculate, to come.

   Synonyms: spoof; see also Thesaurus:ejaculate

   • 2004, Kathryn Fox, Malicious Intent, Pan MacMillan Australia, unnumbered page,

     The kid was fathered by the same guy who sprogged into Debbie Finch′s throat.

Anagrams

• progs

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle Low German sprâke. Cognate to German Sprache, Dutch spraak, Norwegian språk, Old English sprǣċ and Swedish språk.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sprɔːˀɣ/, [ˈsb̥ʁɔˀw], [ˈsb̥ʁɔwˀ]

  • Audio:

    (file)

Noun

sprog n (singular definite sproget, plural indefinite sprog)

1. language

Further reading

• “sprog” in Den Danske Ordbog
• “sprog” in Ordbog over det danske Sprog