bag job
LowInformal, Slang, Jargon (esp. intelligence/police)
Definition
Meaning
A covert, illegal, or unethical operation, typically involving burglary or surreptitious entry to plant or remove evidence.
In a more informal and humorous sense, can refer to any chaotic, botched, or messy situation, often one created by incompetence.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The term carries strong connotations of illegality and skulduggery in its primary sense. Its humorous extension retains the sense of something underhanded or botched.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term originated in and is primarily associated with American intelligence jargon. In British English, it is understood but less frequently used, with terms like "black bag op" or simply "covert entry" being more typical in official contexts.
Connotations
Both varieties share the core connotations of illegality. The humorous extension may be slightly more common in American informal use.
Frequency
Substantially more frequent in American English, particularly in historical/political contexts referencing the FBI or CIA.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Agency/Person] conducted a bag job on [target/place]The [operation] was a classic bag job.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “pull a bag job (on someone/something)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Extremely rare and inappropriate, unless referring metaphorically to an unethical corporate espionage act.
Academic
Used in historical, political science, or intelligence studies contexts when discussing Cold War-era tactics.
Everyday
Rare. If used, it's typically in the humorous, extended sense: "The way they 'organized' the party was a total bag job."
Technical
Jargon within intelligence, law enforcement, and investigative journalism communities.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The agents were alleged to have bag-jobbed the solicitor's office.
- They planned to bag-job the embassy.
American English
- The team was ordered to bag-job the suspect's apartment.
- He admitted they had bag-jobbed several dissidents.
adjective
British English
- It was a bag-job operation, pure and simple.
- They used bag-job tactics to get the information.
American English
- The document revealed a bag-job scheme authorized at a high level.
- He specialized in bag-job techniques.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The spy novel described a secret bag job to steal plans.
- The journalist uncovered evidence that the police had conducted a bag job on the activist's flat.
- Their attempt to fix the plumbing themselves turned into a complete bag job.
- The Senate committee investigated whether the intelligence agency had routinely used bag jobs against domestic political groups.
- The contractor's so-called renovation was a bag job, leaving us with faulty wiring and a leaking roof.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a spy with a **bag** of tools, doing a shady **job** of breaking into an office. The bag holds the illegal tools for the dirty job.
Conceptual Metaphor
CRIMINAL ACTIVITY IS A PROFESSIONAL TASK (with 'job' framing illegal acts as work).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не переводите буквально как "работа с сумкой".
- Не смешивайте с "мешковатая работа" (sloppy work).
- Эквивалентом по смыслу может быть "нелегальная операция", "несанкционированное проникновение".
Common Mistakes
- Using it to mean simply a 'bad job' or 'sloppy work' without the connotation of covert/illegal activity.
- Spelling as 'bagjob' (should be two words).
Practice
Quiz
In its primary sense, a 'bag job' is best defined as:
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is low-frequency slang/jargon. Most learners will not encounter it outside of specific contexts like spy novels, historical accounts, or political scandals.
It originates from American intelligence and police slang (mid-20th century), referring to the 'bag' of tools used for lock-picking and surreptitious entry during an illegal 'job' or operation.
Only informally and humorously, if you want to imply the failure was due to incompetence that borders on being unethical or botched. For a simple failure, use 'mess', 'disaster', or 'botched job'.
It is standardly written as two separate words: 'bag job'.