Herf, what a bloody awful word (sorry yanks) can't we do better

[nicwing]

I had a few people at the Doggetts tell me that they find the word 'herf' too American and one guy, a Taxi driver who was due to do the walk but bailed at the last minute, actually assumed that I has mistyped the word and meant I was meeting him for a 'half'.

So with all the accumulated brains here (obviously excluding New Mexico) I would be sure we could come up with something more 'Anglo Saxon'.

What would Bertie Wooster have said, where did Dickens and Johnson go for a Cigar or a pipe (if we are historically acurate) where did The Waugh's father and sons head for a cigar.

I am sure we can do better.


Hey we could even end up with a poll!

[monkey66]

A Churchill?

[andrewb150]

Totally agree.

[cohibaIV]

Hmmmm!

[michael69]

How about us brits coin the term "char" or "toast" in place of "herf"?

they both have connotations of particularly british things I think, as well as referencing the lighting process.......

So we'd have the verbs "charing" and "toasting" I suppose....

oh well, I tried!

[Jimmeh]

i agree - and it was on the tip of my tongue to mention at the herf - but other conversation got in the way. Herf is too american for my taste - dont get me wrong, i have a large amount of american friends, spend a lot of time there and enjoy american culture... but this is Empire.

I have a couple of suggestions:
concursion, confab, rally, rendezvous, session, tryst.

I also have "Divan" - a word derived from cigar divans of days of old - just to touch on old roots, and also means an oriental high governmental body - which isnt quite english - but i think its a good word?

[Robusto]

How about meeting up for a 'conviv'?

Herfs are usually convivial affairs. Last night's herf was particularly convivial.

Come down my garden path and on to my shack sofa for a conviv.

It has a ring.

[Pantomimehorse]

not bothered myself, if it aint broke don't fix it?

[jpmoore]

a Bit of back ground into the word Herf i found on the net, don't know how accurate it is.

"The term "Herf" used to describe the smoking of a cigar comes from the 1960's in America when many cigar smokers listened to Herf Alpert and the Tijuana Brass while smoking their favorite stogie. The music was latinesque and thus provided an atmosphere of semi-cuban reminiscence. Soon, cigar smokers began to say things like "I was with the Brass last night and the Herf was so good I thought I was in Havana." Thus, we can all thank Herf Alpert for his influence on 'garbonics."

The Collective noun for Smokers is a "confraternity of smokers" could be shortened to a Confrat ??

[TJCoro]

You Must Be Jokin'

not bothered myself, if it aint broke don't fix it?

Right On! My Brother Senor Horse,

What's a matter, boyz..."Herf" not gay enough for you?


A quick google came up with THIS!

Names TJ, TJCoro, and you got a problem with Americanos, lads?


How about calling it a "Ball" as in...let's have a Ball, or let's Ball, or let's go Balling?

[Robusto]

It's hard to find a noun for this.
Verbs are easier.

I'm in the mood to knock off a fat bastard.

I played with a great Canadian drummer in the week but cannot find a name for a Canadian in the vein of 'yank' for US citizen.

Words, hey...

[TJCoro]

Herf Alpert Got all the Latino Chicas!

a Bit of back ground into the word Herf i found on the net, don't know how accurate it is.

"The term "Herf" used to describe the smoking of a cigar comes from the 1960's in America when many cigar smokers listened to Herf Alpert and the Tijuana Brass while smoking their favorite stogie.

The famalia Coros always listen to "herf alpert" while enjoying fine Habanos.

don TJ and the Coros

[rokkitsci]

Not So American, Really

Depending on whom you believe, the word "herf" derives either from:

"...in ASC [alt.smokers.cigars]. It originated as a spelling error. Some guy whose name is lost to history wrote a post about sheep herding. He accidentally typed a line about "herfing sheep." I [a chap named Bob Ray from http://www.uk-cigars.co.uk/herfs/herf1.htm] replied that sheep were hard to keep lit and that herfing cigars was a lot easier. Shortly after that, another guy, The Prince of Skeeves, used the phrase 'bueno herfing' to describe his experience with some good cigars."

Thus making the origin British.

Or, alternatively, this much more erudite explanation from CigarMan [same reference as Bob Ray, above]:

"The term 'herf' has been variously defined, incorrectly, in this group. After an extensive investigation of the term, I am able to provide a concise definition.

"The term is a derivative of several languages. To better understand the true meaning of the word one must realize that language is a changing thing; it moves about with various social structures, from land to land.

The Greek derivation is 'erphos' from 'eos', meaning 'skin'. This is further by a review of the Greek words 'Terphos' and 'Sterphos.' This is actually only the beginning of the common, or present usage of the term.

"An example of the way language travels, and is bastardized, is to be seen in the American Indian Language of Taino. In this language the use of the word 'Hura' means wind. The proper pronunciation is akin to 'Herf,' actually *hurrof*.

"Now, when you review the Greek's meanderings throughout the Ancient World, you will understand that they travelled to the British Isles. Any study can tell you this. The Welsh word we would look to is 'Herfeiddio', a verb which means to dare, to be brave, and to defy.

"Further north and a bit eastward, we must review the Dutch word 'Herfst' and the Anglo-Saxon derivative 'Haerfest.' These words refer to the autumnal season, or the end of summer.

"The end of summer is when they harvested the tobacco leaves. See also, the Greek word 'Apora', meaning 'end-of-summer'.

"Brave souls (Herfeiddiols), would take the freshly harvested leaves (Erphos=skin=tobacco leaves) at the harvest (Herfst/Haerfest) and smoke them. Somehow the word found it's way into America, pre-Columbus.

"The Taino people, simple and naive as they were, took all the above meanings and rolled them into one, thus 'Hura' meaning 'wind'. Review of the lore of the Taino finds this word used as both a verb and a noun. As a noun it has the simple meaning of 'wind,' as we use it, today. As a verb, however, it means: 'he who harvests the thin tobacco leaves of harvest time and smokes it.'"

In either case, the origin of the word "herf" is much more British than it is Amercan, so I don't see why we can't just leave it alone, thus eliminating what would be sure to cause confusion.

migh too sense

I had a few people at the Doggetts tell me that they find the word 'herf' too American and one guy, a Taxi driver who was due to do the walk but bailed at the last minute, actually assumed that I has mistyped the word and meant I was meeting him for a 'half'.

So with all the accumulated brains here (obviously excluding New Mexico) I would be sure we could come up with something more 'Anglo Saxon'.

What would Bertie Wooster have said, where did Dickens and Johnson go for a Cigar or a pipe (if we are historically acurate) where did The Waugh's father and sons head for a cigar.

I am sure we can do better.

Hey we could even end up with a poll!

[daverave999]

As cigar words go, I find herf more acceptable than BOTL.
Do we need 'a word'? This could have been the UKCF Meet, where you will all 'smoke cigars'. Crazy I know.

[G-man]

What next ban all Yanks? LMFAO
I've seen this before! Lets have a pissing match Y don't we! Its a word Dam it and thats all it is. To the blue collar worker it fits just fine. MHO and as for B/SOTL now where going to rewrite the book on cigar slang? Oh here we go again a pollIs nothing ever good enough the way it is do we always have to fix what ain't broke?
What a world



A cigar is just a bunch of rolled up leaves
Its the B/SOTL behind it that makes it impressive!