What does ‘fag end’ mean?

“Congratulations! I heard you guys won the tournament. Were you the only team participating? I can’t imagine….”

“Very funny! In all, there were 32 teams. We bested the five teams we had to play. We….”

“Bested five teams? What are you talking about? How can…”

“When you say that you ‘bested’ someone, what you mean is that you defeated the individual in a competition or fight.”

“The word can also be used in the context of a game, I suppose?”

“Yes, it certainly can! My sister and I played a game of chess. She bested me quite convincingly.”

“How about this example? You’ll have to put in a lot more effort if you want to best Sowmya in the next round.”

“It’s no shame to be bested by the best team in the tournament.”

“That’s true! Since we’re talking about sports, did you watch the Laver Cup over the weekend?”

“I caught the fag end of the trophy presentation.”

“Fag end? What does it mean? Is it a new expression?”

“No, it’s not! It’s been around for some time. When you say that you were present for the fag end of event, what you’re suggesting…”

“You probably mean you walked in when the event had nearly ended. You were there for the last part.”

“I guess you could say that. But the expression ‘fag end’ carries with it a negative meaning as well. The ‘fag end’ of something is the most boring part of something.”

“In other words, when you talk about the fag end of an event, you’re talking about be the worst part of the event.”

“That’s right! It’s the final and worst part of an event. Here’s an example. It had been a long day, and the Chairman was in no hurry to make a decision at the fag end of the day. We decided to meet early the next morning.”

“By the time the speaker reached the fag end of his talk, some of the members in the audience had already fallen asleep.”

“I like to be early for everything. Unlike some people, I hate to walk in at the fag end of a talk. I think that’s plain rude.”

“If you ask me, there are some events when it’s better to arrive late than early.”

“Really? Like what? A political rally?”

“I’ve got better things to do than attend a political rally. No, I was thinking about arriving on time for a wedding reception.”

“Based on my experience, if you arrive on time for a reception, you’re likely to be the only one in the hall. You won’t find anybody else. Not even the bride and groom.”

“That’s true! The couple and their parents will be at the beauty salon making themselves presentable. The best thing to do would be to leave and return back after some time.”

“Why do you say ‘return back’? The word ‘back’ is unnecessary in this context.”

“In other words, the word ‘return’ means ‘to come back’.”

“Exactly! The word ‘back’ is redundant or unnecessary. Here’s an example. The guests returned later than expected.”

“After the meeting with the client, I’ll be going home. I will not be returning to office.”

“That’s an excellent example. No point in returning to this place at the fag end of the day.”

upendrankye@gmail.com