Blag

Blag is a term in English slang, chiefly used in the United Kingdom, with several closely related meanings. As a verb, blag means to obtain something through audacity, charm, or deception—often by bluffing, misrepresentation, or persuasive talk. The act can be informal and improvised, such as blagging a free drink, a ticket, or entry to a venue. The noun form, a blag, refers to the act itself or to a successful instance of blagging.

In everyday use, blagging conveys a sense of doing something by swaggering or talking one’s way through a situation rather than by legitimate means. The tone is typically casual and humorous, though it can carry a sharper edge when the deception causes concern or harm.

In information security and hacker culture, blagging is a recognized form of social engineering. It involves impersonation, fabrication, or plausible misrepresentation to coax confidential information, access credentials, or entry permissions from individuals or organizations. Blagging targets human trust rather than technical weaknesses and can occur in person, over the phone, or via electronic communications.

BLAG Linux and GNU is a separate, Debian/Red Hat–influenced Linux distribution that carries the name BLAG. The project emphasizes free and open-source software and has served as an example within the open-source community of a fully free-software-oriented operating system.