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General discussion

British term for cigarette?

Dec 8, 2003 12:50AM PST

Anyone know how the term "f*a*g" became associated with a cigarette?

Discussion is locked

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no idea whatsoever :-(
Dec 8, 2003 1:29AM PST
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You asked.
Dec 8, 2003 2:34AM PST

In British English, "f*a*g" is used as a colloquialism for a cigarette, as in "I'm gasping for a f*a*g", or "where can I get some f*a*gs?".
"F*a*g" meaning cigarette, came from the original word - "f*a*ggot" which is the word for a bundle of something combustible on the end of a stick - also known as a torch, like the olympic torch.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F*a*g (take out the *)

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Torch...
Dec 8, 2003 3:10AM PST

Also British call flashlights = "torch" as I notice in their movies.

Also heard some time ago that some Brit came up with a word for something in your mouth, sucking on it like a pipe or cigarette (which could also be combustable on the end of a stick).

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Re:You asked.
Dec 8, 2003 3:18AM PST

It's kinda interesting to look into these kind of things isn't it. Seems the Brits called cigarettes f@gs before it became used as a derogatory term for homosexuals.

F@g-end - last and worst part
A f@g or f@g-end was the last part of a piece of cloth, made of coarser material and hanging loose (f@g in this sense seems to be a corruption of 'fl@g', meaning 'hang down'), and has long been used metaphorically of the last and poorest part of anything. For example, the stub of a cigar used to be called the f@g-end; cheap cigarettes were called f@gs before the word spread to all cigarettes.

By the same derivation a f@g-end was also the untwisted end of a rope with the strands hanging loose. It is perhaps from this sense of 'frayed' that we get f@gged-out (exhausted), though the more likely explanation goes back to f@g=fl@g=droop.


On another site I found "f@g end" translated to "tail end" leading the wandering mind to wonder if this might have had something to do with the origin of the American slur. Sure makes more sense to me than any derivation from the bundle of sticks f@ggot Happy

Ah, if I can hijack this thread a little because there is a discussion of word derivation buried deep in one of the contentious gay threads, I find Planned Parenthood's use of the word ***** to be rather humorous: The term "*****" has had a difficult history. It has been (and still is) used as a weapon of hatred. We do not use it in this way. Rather, we hope to join the increasing numbers of people of all sexual orientations who are reclaiming the word and using it with respect and pride to describe the breadth, diversity, and joy of all the sexual identities in the world.

Evie Happy

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Presumably, Planned Parenthood is not including
Dec 8, 2003 3:50AM PST

heterosexuals under the rubric of '*****'. That would be ***** indeed if they did. So, I guess heterosexuals would not have a sexual identity in the PP world.

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Cockney
Dec 8, 2003 7:37AM PST

Abbreviation of the cockney slang
Faces, Airs and Graces.
But I am not sure of how that refers to cigarettes.
I think the upper class were refered to in this way.
Not in America though LOL
I can remember calling a cigarette by that name????
The mission continues.

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I think Evie has already answered but this link is interesting
Dec 8, 2003 7:48AM PST
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Re:I think Evie has already answered but this link is interesting
Dec 8, 2003 9:08AM PST

Steve,
The term is also used for a Welsh dish called *******, most often served with peas and mash. Good meal.Welsh *******

Pig's liver is made into meatballs with onion, beef suet, bread crumbs, and sometimes a chopped apple. ******* used to be made to use up the odd parts of a pig after it had been slaughtered.
Don Polk( Who took one of the lassies from Lancashirehome with him forty six years ago.)

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When I was a child in Texas
Dec 8, 2003 10:24AM PST

we called it Hog Haslet. Heart, lungs, kidneys of the hog, boiled for a couple hours, stunk up the whole house.

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No liver in there James - doesn't sound the same to me NT
Dec 8, 2003 2:45PM PST

??

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I just forgot to list it. It was made from the hog's organ meats.
Dec 9, 2003 12:26AM PST

I personally never liked it, but it smelled worse than it tasted, at least while cooking.

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Yep! Don - know the dish well -
Dec 8, 2003 2:54PM PST

My father was serving in the RAF in lancashire during the 1939-1945 war. I don't think it was far from Preston. I wonder if the lassie came from near there. Glad she kept you happy all these years.
I live in Berkshire if that means anything to her, and if it will make her any happier it is freeeeezing
cold here at the moment. Happy

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Re:made me hungry just reading it :-)
Dec 8, 2003 7:39PM PST
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Re:Re:made me hungry just reading it :-), .....Hmmmm......
Dec 8, 2003 11:28PM PST

By substituting ground beef and mix in ground pork sausage, that recipe is just about the same as my wife makes in a fairly large batch and freezes. We use if for spaghetti & meatballs, meat balls in creme mushroom gravy(canned), or just meatball sandwiches. If she accidently buys liver, the dog loves it.

JR
Err...now using pig/beef liver, cut the spices, sub corn meal for the breadcrumbs, add a little flour, then boil in water for a short time is what I used to make for Catfish bait on a trot line. Worked good.

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Re:British term for cigarette?
Dec 8, 2003 8:52AM PST

I remember when a line in a famous Christmas Carol, "don we now our gay apparel fa la la, la la la, la la la..." had no "alternative" meaning.

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Re:Re:British term for cigarette?
Dec 8, 2003 9:11AM PST

How about the big hit in the 40's or 50's "The Gay Caballeros" Or the second line in "The last time I saw Paris. So many lyrics from then that wouldn't fly today.
Don

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Re::-) how about ''The Coming Out Ball''
Dec 8, 2003 2:32PM PST

or Hermans Hermits "the company was gay, they turned night into day"
and of course the ultimate in "you're f****d" Enola Gay...

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Dunno, but here's the queerest thing...
Dec 9, 2003 9:32PM PST

...the British f-a-g has a butt, and the smoker's lips are drawn to it frequently. Wink

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(NT) LOL ... cute play on words there Dale :-)
Dec 9, 2003 9:45PM PST

.