flog

Etymology 1

From Middle English *floggen (suggested by flogge (“hammer, sledge”), from Old English *floggian, a stem variant of Proto-Germanic *flukkōną (“to beat”), itself a secondary zero-grade iterative with unetymological -u-, derived from *flōkaną. The original zero-grade iterative *flakkōną had been misinterpreted as an o-grade. See flack (“to beat”), also as a dialectal noun "a blow, slap". Cognate with Scots flog (“a blow, stripe, flogging”, noun), Scots flog (“thin strip of wood”), Norwegian flak (“a piece torn off, strip”). Alternatively, a back-formation from flogger, from Low German flogger (“a flail”).

verb

1. (transitive) To whip or scourge as punishment.
2. (transitive) To use something to extreme; to abuse.
   I did seven laps of Fyshwick with the mechanic today. I was turning lots of heads on the last few, people must of thought I was nuts, flogging the car then stopping, then driving slow then flogging it again. October 30 2002, Chris Wardrop, “VL idles rough when warm...”, in aus.cars (Usenet)
3. (transitive, UK, slang) To sell.
   And then there's my part time job at Telstra Bigpond flogging their cable network for just $67.55/month long term cost, a BARGAIN, and the other part time job flogging Foxtel at something like $50/month. January 26 2001, Paul Edwards, “Optus $5/month 5110, T10 and 2288 only 4 days”, in aus.comms.mobile (Usenet)
   Flanders was able to flog his piece of land, for which he had originally paid £4,000, to one of the largest gold-mining corporations for something like a couple of million smackers. 2007, Dave Lee (jazz musician), Nothing Rhymes with Silver 2, page 78
4. (transitive, Australia, New Zealand) To steal something.
5. (transitive, Australia, New Zealand) To defeat easily or convincingly.
   The Swannies got on a real roll over rounds 16/17 & 18 of 1987. In consecutive SCG matches, they flogged the Eags 30.21 to 10.11, followed that with a 36.20 to 11.7 demolition of the Dons and finally a 31.12 to 15.17 thrashing of Richmond. August 16 1999, Mr Ripper, “Nothing to Crow About”, in rec.sport.football.australian (Usenet)
   Anyone with cable watch this on ESPN "History of Cricket" last night? Australia got flogged by an innings in the fourth test. June 9 2001, Cas., “Eng v Aus 1977”, in aus.sport.cricket (Usenet)
   It'll make the Raiders look good. Getting flogged by a team that got flogged by a team that got flogged by the Bulldogs. June 5 2004, Greg Vincent }:c{, “POLISER- Roosters v Bulldogs”, in aus.sport.rugby-league (Usenet)
6. (transitive, Australia, agriculture) To overexploit (land), as by overgrazing, overstocking, etc.
   The environment is paying dearly as producers flog their land. Sustainable agriculture needs a new generation of energised science and technology-trained farmers Feb 6, 2007, “Suppliers the losers in Coles-Woolworths war”, in The Age
7. (theater) To beat away charcoal dust etc. using a flogger.

noun

1. (Australia, informal, derogatory) A contemptible, often arrogant person; a wanker.
   It follows the ejection of a supporter who allegedly ran towards umpire Mathew Nicholls while calling him a "bald-headed flog" at half-time of the Carlton-Brisbane Lions match last Saturday. 15 June 2019, Goya Dmytryshchak, “AFL fan outrage at 'behaviourial awareness officers'”, in The Age

Etymology 2

Blend of fake + blog

noun

1. (Internet slang) A weblog designed to look authentic, but actually developed as part of a commercial marketing strategy to promote some product or service.
   Though a handful of viral videos and flogs have captured significant interest, the vast majority hardly register with consumers. 2008, Lucas Conley, OBD: Obsessive Branding Disorder
   An element more problematic […] in the move of corporate communications and practices online is the sometimes masked nature of such initiatives, for example through blogola and flogs. 2009, Nico Carpentier, Benjamin De Cleen, Participation and Media Production: Critical Reflections on Content Creation, page 33
   […] hidden advertising and flogs (the use of “personal blogs” for unfair commercial and political purposes), […] 2010, Beata Klimkiewicz, Media Freedom and Pluralism