Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary

I.jokes, jests, idle speeches, trifles, trumpery, nonsense (syn. ineptiae).

I. Lit.: “aufer nugas,” away with your jesting, Plaut. Truc. 4, 4, 7: “nugas postulare,” id. Trin. 2, 4, 40; id. Truc. 2, 1, 20; id. Merc. 2, 4, 1: “huncine hominem tantis delectatum esse nugis?” Cic. Div. 2, 13, 30. —Hence, nugas agere, to play the fool: “nisi argentum dederit, nugas egerit,” Plaut. Men. prol. 54; so, “maximas nugas agis,” id. As. 1, 1, 78; “and ellipt. without ago: quo illum sequar? in Persas? nugas,” nonsense! id. Pers. 4, 7, 7; id. Most. 5, 1, 38.—Of verses, trifles: “nescio quid meditans nugarum,” Hor. S. 1, 9, 2; cf. Cat. 1, 4; Mart. 9, 1, 5 (cf. also: “versūs et cetera ludicra,” Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 10).—Of the songs of hired female mourners at a funeral: “haec sunt non nugae: non enim mortualia,” Plaut. As. 4, 1, 63.—Acc. to Nonius, Plautus called women's finery nugae, Non. 144, 30; v. nugivendus. —

II. Transf. (abstr. pro concreto), jesters, jokers, droll fellows: “amicos habet meras nugas,” Cic. Att. 6, 3, 5: “ego Hephaestum ... Niciam, ego nugas maximas omni meā comitate sum complexus,” id. Q. Fr. 1, 2, 2 comites Graeculi, quocumque ibat: “tum in comitatu nugarum nihil,” id. Mil. 21, 55.