Herf (draw on a cigar or cigarette)
“Herf” was first used by “Prince of Skeeves” on the newsgroup alt.smokers.cigars on November 21, 1996. On November 23rd, “Prince of Skeeves” explained: “To `herf’ is to draw on a cigar. It’s less vulgar than ‘suck’ and not as misleading as ‘toke’.”
On July 11, 1997, “Prince of Skeeves” further explained: “The first time I heard the word ‘herf’ and recognized it’s potential for the enrichment of my vocabulary was in junior college in Clyde, Texas in 1982 from a blueblood derelict friend of my named Stu. In the context of the time it was used to describe the ungainly and humorous facial contortion required to deeply draw on a large, hand- rolled cigarette of unknown filling while driving a motor vehicle and keeping an eye peeled for the Callahan County sheriff. Later I found the term ‘herf’ described nicely the method for getting a good mouthful of tasty smoke from my favorite cigars.”
A “herf” has also come to mean a “lively gathering of cigar-smoking comrades.” A “Herf-on-the Lake” was held April 26, 1997 at Jones Park on Lake Travis in Jonestown (just outside of Austin, TX).
Cigar Advisor- Glossary of Cigar Terminology
Herf
A lively gathering of cigar-smoking comrades who meet in a restaurant, club, cigar store or home to share their appreciation of fine cigars.
Becker’s Cigar Lexicon
herf
An arcane term that first came into the cigar lexicon through an internet chat group in November of 1996. The “Prince of Skeeves?” posted the following in his dissertation on mediocre cigars, “Also, anything Macanudo…I tried several when I first began smoking cigars and found them all to be very bland and almost impossible to herf, they were so tightly wrapped.”. The term is now used as either a noun or a verb, the term can be used interchangeably with the word smoke.A
UK - Cigars
What is a Herf?
The definitive posting on ASC comes from John Chunko, who wrote:
HERF - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The un-official word of ASC is Herf. Herf is a unique part of speech. It can be correctly used as a noun, a verb, an adjective, an adverb, an infinitive, a prefix, a suffix and an explicative.
The arcane word “herf” first entered the ASC lexicon on November 21, 1996, and was quickly elevated to frenetic and common use by ASCers. The Prince of Skeeves exposed ASC to the word herf in a casual posting to the group… however it was ASCers, as a budding collective, who took the word and made it divine.
Herf is now virulently spreading to worldwide common use as hip cigar parlance.
HERF - CHRONOLOGY:
As for the origin of Herf, here’s the History of Herf (it’s a matter of record on DejaNews)...
(...)(Posts repeated below—ed.)
So, that’s the herf story… on 11/21/96 “Prince of Skeeves” (whoever he/she/it is/was) introduced our newsgroup to its very own beloved word… And, as a bonus…
HERF LEVITY:
Herf… a word which is now spreading to virtually all corners of the cigar world… thanks to the likes of the many and varied distinguished herfing enthusiasts (herfnicks)... such as:
the good Dr. Miguelit (used on his many national radio interviews),
Mr. Lew Rothman (used proudly and prominently on JR’s Winter catalog issue’s front cover),
ASC elder Mr. Bob Curtis (used liberally all over the ICG website),
the Hon. Steven Saka (used strategically at least four times in the course of the 1997 New Hampshire state senatorial debate and once as an invective following the debate’s broadcast, which, btw, was televised on CSPAN-3 to over a half-billion viewers worldwide, including the space shuttle mission crew),
Connie Whittager, perky weatherwoman on Montgomery, Alabama’s WKKG-TV (used to describe the fog which paralyzed suburban roadways for two straight days in April 1997… in an interview on the Weather Channel, she explained, “...motorists were advised to avoid the western beltway and all lakeside arteries due to a stationary fog bank thicker than a hundred hounddogs herfin’ Hondurans in a hayloft”, and
by Jorge Jesus Delgado, Jr., now departed, (who ardently pleaded to “herf a cigar” before his execution in the Texas death-house in October 1997)... ...just to mention a few of the notables!
PS: Remember… November 21 is World Herfing Day!!! Sorry you asked, huh?
Google Groups: alt.smokers.cigars
Newsgroups: alt.smokers.cigars
From: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (Prince of Skeeves)
Date: 1996/11/21
Subject: worst cigars IMHO
I bought a Canaria d’Oro(sic?)Robusto out of curiousity and it was really a horrible, stale,grassy smoke with a peed-on taste. I gave it about 2 inches before I put it out. Also, anything Macanudo…I tried several when I first began smoking cigars and found them all to be very bland and almost impossible to herf, they were so tightly wrapped. I think the list of `Mediocre Smokes’ for most folks would be huge.
Google Groups: alt.smokers.cigars
Newsgroups: alt.smokers.cigars
From: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (Prince of Skeeves)
Date: 1996/11/23
Subject: Re: Herfing (was Re: worst cigars IMHO)
To `herf’ is to draw on a cigar. It’s less vulgar than `suck’ and not as misleading as `toke’. Especially when you’re suffering through an impossibly tight smoke and you are glad no one is watching.
Google Groups: alt.smokers.cigars
Newsgroups: alt.smokers.cigars
From: Dick Pewthers
Date: 1997/02/02
Subject: First Annual Texas ASC “Herf on the Lake” is planned!
Here it is! The First Annual Texas ASC “Herf on the Lake” is out of the starting blocks. So many fellow ASCers responded favorably to a Texas-sized event that it started many of us thinking. And now, in the finest Texas tradition of “bigger is better”, the event has taken form. Following are the specifics:
Date: Saturday, April 26 (the last Saturday in April)
Where: Jones Park on Lake Travis in Jonestown (just outside of Austin, TX)
The Cigar Nexus Scrapbook
Texas Herf On The Lake (THOTL)
April 26, 1997
Hey y’all, this is Steve Saka, and welcome to CigarNexus.Com. I’m currently in my rental car cutting across the glorious state of Texas. My plane touched down in Houston about two hours back and I’m about halfway up Highway 290 heading west to Austin. That’s right, I’m bound for the herf, The herf on the lake! Yeeee haw!
Google Groups: alt.smokers.cigars
Newsgroups: alt.smokers.cigars
From: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (Prince of Skeeves)
Date: 1997/07/11
Subject: an early definition of the word…
EVERYONE MUST HERF
The first time I heard the word `herf’ and recognized it’s potential for the enrichment of my vocabulary was in junior college in Clyde, Texas in 1982 from a blueblood derelict friend of my named Stu. In the context of the time it was used to describe the ungainly and humorous facial contortion required to deeply draw on a large, hand- rolled cigarette of unknown filling while driving a motor vehicle and keeping an eye peeled for the Callahan County sheriff. Later I found the term `herf’ described nicely the method for getting a good mouthful of tasty smoke from my favorite cigars.(Padron and HDM Rothschilds)
S. delaVega
Prince of Skeeves
Google Groups: alt.smokers.cigars
Newsgroups: alt.smokers.cigars
From: “Jack Daniel”
Date: Sun, 19 May 2002 00:29:55 GMT
Local: Sat, May 18 2002 8:29 pm
Subject: Re: Origin of the term “herf”
> > I know what a herf is, but not how the term originated. Anyone know?
> Yup, it happened on Nov 21, 1996 - A quick search on google turned up the
> following explanation…
There is another message on Google where it is first used on ASC. Chunko didn’t invent it. First use of “herf” is thanks to Prince of Skeeves and Scott Martin in 1996:...
How To Smoke A Cigar
Saturday, March 29, 2008
How To Smoke A Cigar
GLOSSARY OF CIGAR TERMS
(...)
Herf - a cigar smoking or cigar-tasting event; a cigar party; a gathering of friends and compatriots for the purpose of smoking and appreciation of fine cigars.