what is a bogart

What Is a Bogart?

A "bogart" is slang for selfishly hogging something, especially a marijuana joint, instead of passing it along. It stems from Humphrey Bogart's iconic habit of letting a cigarette dangle from his mouth without removing it, as seen in his classic films from the 1940s.

Origins and Cultural Roots

The term exploded in the 1960s counterculture, tied to the free-love era where sharing joints symbolized communal vibes—yet some folks would "bogart" them, frustrating the circle. Picture a dimly lit room in 1967 San Francisco: Bob Dylan even nods to it in "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" with the line "Everybody must get stoned," but the real gripe was those who wouldn't pass the peace pipe. Humphrey Bogart, the tough-guy star of Casablanca and The Maltese Falcon , never smoked weed on screen, but his perpetual cig habit became a metaphor for greedily holding on.

Everyday Usage Today

• Classic sense : "Dude, don't bogart that joint—pass it!" Meaning: Stop monopolizing the smoke.

• Broader slang : Applies to anything shared, like food, drinks, or even conversation time—"He's bogarting the aux cord with his emo playlist again."

• As a noun : A "bogart" describes the selfish person themselves, e.g., "What a bogart, swiping all the fries."

In modern lingo, it's less weed-specific and more about any attention-hogging behavior, popping up in casual chats or memes.

Multiple Viewpoints in Pop Culture

From a stoner's lens, bogarting kills the vibe—it's anti-communal in a scene built on sharing. Older folks might recall it purely from Bogie's films, missing the drug tie-in entirely. Linguists see it as a rare actor-inspired verb, evolving from Dutch "boomgaard" (orchard keeper) via Bogart's surname. Forums like Straight Dope debate its exact first use, pinning it to 1960s jazz scenes where musicians griped about greedy smokers.

"To bogart a marijuana joint." — Webster's New World

Is It Trending Now?

As of March 2026, "bogart" simmers in nostalgia posts on forums amid legalization waves—think Reddit threads on cannabis etiquette or TikToks parodying 60s hippies. No massive viral spikes lately, but it flares in gossip about celebs allegedly hogging vapes at parties. Safe speculation: With weed mainstream, it'll stick around for generational humor.

TL;DR : Bogart = hogging a joint (or anything) selfishly, thanks to Humphrey Bogart's cig style—timeless slang for not sharing the love.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.