Droog

Droog is a term with several distinct uses in language and culture. In Dutch, the word droog means dry as an adjective. In English-language contexts, the form “droog” comes from Anthony Burgess’s Nadsat slang in A Clockwork Orange, where droogs are members of Alex DeLarge’s gang, and “my droog” is used to mean “my friend.” The plural form in the fiction is “droogs.”

In popular culture, the association with A Clockwork Orange has made “droog” widely recognizable as slang for a companion or ally, particularly in discussions of the novel and film. The term has appeared in literary analyses and media commentary as a characteristic example of Burgess’s constructed argot.

Droog Design is a separate contemporary use of the word. Droog Design is a Dutch design company and collective established in the 1990s in Amsterdam, known for conceptual, sometimes minimalist and whimsical, design approaches. It gained international attention through exhibitions, collaborations, and products that reinterpret everyday objects and design conventions, blending humor, typography, and material experiments. The Droog label helped contribute to perceptions of Dutch design as inventive and concept-driven during that era.

Other uses of Droog typically reflect its Dutch linguistic roots or branding practices. As a general term, it can appear as a company or project name in design, art, or fashion contexts, often invoking notions of clarity or dryness associated with the original Dutch meaning.