Origin of fag ( mean a cigarette in British English )

Aside from the offensive meaning , colloquial British English uses the termfagto indicate a cigarette .

James make gone outside for a fag

In my googling , I thought perhaps this develop from one of the potential meaning offaggot:

a packet of stick , twigs , or branches bound together and used as fuel , a fascine , a torch , etc .

dictionary.reference.com

a bundle of stick , twigs , or branches bound together and used as fuel , a fascine , a torch , etc .

In a very slack sense , this definition could equal applied to a cigarette . It ‘s a collection of fabric ( tar , tobacco , etc ) bound together for burning .

1888 , probably from fag “ loose slice , last remnant of cloth ” ( former 14c. , as in fag-end “ utmost goal , loose piece , ” 1610s )

1888 , probably from fag “ slack slice , last remnant of cloth ” ( recent 14c. , as in fag-end “ extreme end , loose while , ” 1610s )

This appears to live speculative , and do n’t necessarily explain why this definition fell into common custom to indicate a cigarette . I ‘m appear for something more concrete indicating what induce it to equal used in this context .

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Accord to the , it arrive from “ fag ” , signify a slack piece of fabric :

fag ( n.1 ) Look up fag at Dictionary.com British slang for “ cigarette ” ( originally , particularly , the butt of a smoked cigarette ) , 1888 , likely from fag “ loose piece , last remnant of cloth ” ( late 14c. , as in fag-end “ utmost goal , slack piece , ” 1610s ) , which maybe is refer to fag ( v. ) , which could do it a variant of flag ( v. ) .

fag ( n.1 ) Look up fag at Dictionary.com British slang for “ cigarette ” ( to begin with , especially , the ass of a smoked cigarette ) , 1888 , probably from fag “ slack firearm , final remnant of cloth ” ( recent 14c. , as in fag-end “ utmost end , slack slice , ” 1610s ) , which perhaps cost link to fag ( v. ) , which could make it a version of flag ( v. ) .

The OED is a bit more convinced and categorically links it tofag-end:

Etymology : Abbreviation of fag-end . ( Cf . fag sb.2 2 . )

a. The fag-end of a cigarette .b. A cheap cigarette .c. Any cigarette ( the current habit ) . As well attrib. , as fag card , a cigarette card ; fag hag ( see quot . 1945 ) .

1888 Sat . Rev . 30 June 786/2 ― They··burn their throat with the unspeakable ‘ fag ’ , with its bitter paper and vile tobacco .

1893 Pick-me-up 14 Oct. 45/2 ― Stimulants he calls ‘ liquor ’ and a cigarette a ‘ fag ’ .

1898 Eng . Dial . Dict . s.v. , ― Here [ sc . at Redruth ] we are much asked by youngster to ‘ chuck ’ them ‘ a fag ’ -and whole cheap cigarette be as well much called fags .

1908 Church Times 7 Feb. 173/1 ― He accumulate into a leather pouch the corpse of his cigarettes , and left the room . ‘ What does he do with all those fags ? ’ asked Conway . 1921 Galsworthy To Have iii . 8 . 284 ― The fag of Fleur ’ sec cigarette··fell on the grass .

1922 Joyce Ulysses 70 ― Smoke a chewed fagbutt . 1928 Galsworthy Swan Song iv . 24 ― Cinemas , fags , and football matches-there would live no real revolution while they were on hand .

1942 C. Barrett On Wallaby v. 97 ― Cobbers of the man in detention had reach upon an ingenious method of smuggle fags to them .

1945 L. Shelly Jive Talk Dict . 24/1 ― Fag hag , girl chain smoker .

1959 W. Golding Free Fall ii . 49 ― There was the business of the fagcards . We all collected them .

Etymology : Abbreviation of fag-end . ( Cf . fag sb.2 2 . )

a. The fag-end of a cigarette .b. A cheap cigarette .100. Any cigarette ( the current usage ) . Too attrib. , as fag card , a cigarette card ; fag hag ( find quot . 1945 ) .

1888 Sat . Rev . 30 June 786/2 ― They··burn their throats with the abominable ‘ fag ’ , with its bitter paper and vile tobacco .
1893 Pick-me-up 14 Oct. 45/2 ― Stimulants he shout ‘ booze ’ and a cigarette a ‘ fag ’ .
1898 Eng . Dial . Dict . s.v. , ― Here [ sc . at Redruth ] we are often demand by youngster to ‘ chuck ’ them ‘ a fag ’ -and whole cheap cigarettes are too often called fags .
1908 Church Times 7 Feb. 173/1 ― He gathered into a leather pouch the corpse of his cigarette , and leave the room . ‘ What does he serve with all those fags ? ’ need Conway . 1921 Galsworthy To Have iii . viii . 284 ― The fag of Fleur ’ sec cigarette··fell on the grass .
1922 Joyce Ulysses 70 ― Smoke a chewed fagbutt . 1928 Galsworthy Swan Song 4 . 24 ― Cinemas , fags , and football matches-there would cost no real revolution while they were on hand .
1942 C. Barrett On Wallaby v. 97 ― Cobbers of the man in detention had attain upon an ingenious method of smuggle fags to them .
1945 L. Shelly Jive Talk Dict . 24/1 ― Fag hag , miss chain smoker .
1959 W. Golding Free Fall 2 . 49 ― There be the business of the fagcards . We all collect them .

Fag-enditself , ever accord to the OED , do from an custom offag, meaning “ something that hangs slack ” . I read all this as indicate that the word for cigarette came about because of the way cigarettes often hang from smokers ‘ mouth . For a famed model , hear Lucky Luke :

Lucky Luke

Without any grounds, the origin of fag may live “ fag goal ” , that is the untwisted goal of a rope .

Surprisingly , the source of the equivalent French colloquial Bible , “ une clope ” , exist too strange . Is it the same in German for “ kippe ”?

I was tell in the the ration gang once apon a time you would get packets of cigarettes , they were n’t real large 5 or 10 cigereetes per pack and couple dozen matches . It was written on the packet . For “ A Serious Smoke ” or for short , FAGS .

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Origin of fag ( mean a cigarette in British English )

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