The Word Puro w/Poll

[shilala]

I've been doing my homework on Drew Estate cigars because Ken (steelcityboy) insisted I smoke a bunch, and I'm real big on knowing what's in the cigars I smoke.
I've heard and read the word puro tossed around in connection with some of the stuff, and had the distinct impression Johnathan was creating some nic puros.
I just downloaded the Drew Estate app and was reading a blurb that says "When you light a Liga Privada No. 9 you are smoking a puro that was intended..."

I understand the #9 and T52 are made of Connecticut, Brazilian, Honduran, and Nicaraguan weed.

The word puro, in my little cigar world, has always meant that a cigar is built of tobacco from one country.
So I went and chased the etymology of the word.
In English, the noun means:

A cigar (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cigar), especially one of which all the tobacco (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tobacco) originates from the same country.
That comes from the Spanish puro, originally cigarro puro, which all means "cigar". The adjective is "pure".

My question would be, "Has anyone ever heard the word puro used to mean cigar, rather than a cigar which all it's parts are from one country?"

[Blak Smyth]

I always understood it to mean the same as you Scott.
And I like cake, but only in a glass of milk!

[Islayphile]

I always understood it to mean the same as you Scott.

Same here

[shilala]

Wow, I don't think I even had the pole up before you guys answered. :)

[Islayphile]

I like cake, but PIE is even better

:tu

[Emjaysmash]

I have always heard the term used in the US as defining a cigar with all constituent tobaccos from the same country of origin.

I have heard the word used by Cubans as the word for "cigar". If you watch Buena Vista Social Club, Compay Segundo refers to cigars as "puros".

[Islayphile]

I have always heard the term used in the US as defining a cigar with all constituent tobaccos from the same country of origin.

I have heard the word used by Cubans as the word for "cigar". If you watch Buena Vista Social Club, Compay Segundo refers to cigars as "puros".

I can see Cubans using the term puro to mean cigar since they don't really use leaf from anywhere else.

[hotreds]

I can see Cubans using the term puro to mean cigar since they don't really use leaf from anywhere else.

Exactly.

[kelmac07]

I understood it to be all parts of the stick are from the same country. However, I do like cake. :D

[Garbandz]

Some of my Mexican friends use Puro to mean "a cigar", any cigar........




Wow,400 posts........Do I really have that much to say ?

[shilala]

I knew cake would make a strong showing.

[hotreds]

Wow,400 posts........Do I really have that much to say ?

Since 2009? Apparently NOT :D

[markem]

[puro] adj. pure, uncontaminated, untainted; clean, free of dirt; absolute, utter

It is an adjective, "part of speech used to modify a noun". Ergo, it is meaningless without an explicit or implicit noun upon which to act.

A simple test would be, for example, to replace "puro" in a sentence with your chosen definition. For example, let's say we want "puro" to mean "cigar".

I smoked a rockin Nicaraguan cigar today (not bad, but not what you really intended).

Now, let's use one of the words from the definition above.

I smoked a rockin Nicaraguan pure today. Not so good. However, I think that if we made it a real adjective, we get something like this: I smoked a rockin pure Nicaraguan cigar today.

Much better, me thinks.

I tend to slant towards the rules of the Blue Book (http://www.grammarbook.com/) but can go with the flow for anyone who wants to head in the direction of Strunk and White (original is online here: http://www.crockford.com/wrrrld/style.html).

[lenguamor]

There are enough generic words for "cigar;" a puro is a cigar comprised entirely of tobaccos from a single country of origin.

[Skywalker]

http://financialuproar.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/drooling-homer-simpson.jpg
Mmmm Cake!!!

[BlkDrew]

damn, i wanted to vote for cake, but i chose what i agreed with. That being "Puro" stands for a cigar whose make up is from one country.

[Blak Smyth]

damn, i wanted to vote for cake, but i chose what i agreed with. That being "Puro" stands for a cigar whose make up is from one country.

You could have voted for both silly!

[G G]

I always understood it to mean the same as you Scott, I do like cake, and it is the name of my donkey, well not really, but it's the name of a friend of mines donkey, well not really but I'm gonna see if he will change the name to Puro since it would be cool.

[Frodo]

Some of my Mexican friends use Puro to mean "a cigar", any cigar........

I've heard it used this way in Mexico as well...

[ktblunden]

Yep, I love Drew Estate and the LP series, but I have to disagree with Johnathan's usage of the word. Puro should mean that all the tobaccos are from the same country of origin.

[RevSmoke]

A puro is a cigar with all the constituent tobaccos coming from the same country.

Although, there are some people who call all cigars puros.

I remember an incident from the boom days. There was an individual of some monetary wealth who thought way more of himself than anybody else did. He was the expert (in his own mind) on things regarding cigars - because he could buy the more expensive cigars. He had just started smoking when it got popular, but it was amazing the faux wisdom he'd spew. Anyway, he informed everybody that all hand-made cigars were puros because they were made pure, all tobacco, no false fillers like cigar paper, etc...

Funny how he always seemed to be alienating people.

[stearns]

i know it to be all from one country, but i believe in spain they often referred to any cigar as a "puro."

[shilala]

Yep, I love Drew Estate and the LP series, but I have to disagree with Johnathan's usage of the word. Puro should mean that all the tobaccos are from the same country of origin.
I think Johnathan is just grabbing a couple Spanish words to set himself apart. Like Liga Privada. It means "Skid Marks" in Spanish. I thought it was an odd choice.

[Zanaspus]

[puro] adj. pure, uncontaminated, untainted; clean, free of dirt; absolute, utter

It is an adjective, "part of speech used to modify a noun". Ergo, it is meaningless without an explicit or implicit noun upon which to act.

A simple test would be, for example, to replace "puro" in a sentence with your chosen definition. For example, let's say we want "puro" to mean "cigar".

I smoked a rockin Nicaraguan cigar today (not bad, but not what you really intended).

Now, let's use one of the words from the definition above.

I smoked a rockin Nicaraguan pure today. Not so good. However, I think that if we made it a real adjective, we get something like this: I smoked a rockin pure Nicaraguan cigar today.

Much better, me thinks.

I tend to slant towards the rules of the Blue Book (http://www.grammarbook.com/) but can go with the flow for anyone who wants to head in the direction of Strunk and White (original is online here: http://www.crockford.com/wrrrld/style.html).

My God! Someone else on the internet who actually cares about not butchering his mother tongue!

I salute you sir!:salute:

[MurphysLaw]

When I hear "puro" I think of a cigar where all components are from one country.

Every description I can recall seeing of Drew Estates cigars has a breakdown of where the leaf comes from. Heres a quote from Jons intro thread where he makes the distinction between puros and blends:

My answer is this: I believe in Nicaraguan "Heavy Leaf" tobaccos more than any other tobaccos in the world. I place Nicaraguan fillers, binder, and capa on par with that of the most select leaf of Cuban origin. While DE is the largest importer of leaf INTO Nicaragua, and our strength is in "Blended Tobaccos" (Meaning NON PUROS), my suggestion is to purchase a good, healthy handful of beautiful Nicaraguan cigars, such as Padron, Joya de Nicaragua, Oliva, Perdomo, Pepin, Tat, Agonorsa, Placensia etc ... and include with that variety Liga Privada No.9 and T52, as well as our newly released Liga UNDERCROWN. Than start to understand Nicaragua and how Drew Estate fits in that circle. Nicaragua won't let you down ... I promise.


I like cake.

[68TriShield]

My question would be, "Has anyone ever heard the word puro used to mean cigar, rather than a cigar which all it's parts are from one country?"
Yes.

[cigarmonkel]

I believe it means an old old wooden ship used during the civil war era.

[jledou]

I like cookies better than I like cake.

[CRIMPS]

Honestly, I have never had a great understanding of why the term was using in the industry. I think that probably has more to do with me not really putting much thought into it. After reading this, it definitely makes sense.

Thanks.

[shilala]

Every description I can recall seeing of Drew Estates cigars has a breakdown of where the leaf comes from. Heres a quote from Jons intro thread where he makes the distinction between puros and blends:
...and our strength is in "Blended Tobaccos" (Meaning NON PUROS)...


I like cake.
I saw that when Jon came aboard, and it's pretty much in direct contradiction with the quote from the new Drew Estate iPhone app ""When you light a Liga Privada No. 9 you are smoking a puro that was intended..."
I had read or listened to him say they were working with Nic tobacco to create a puro and that's what I went looking for. Obviously I didn't find anything in the Liga line.
It made my head hurt and kind of disappointed me.
But I got ya on the cake. :tu

[Blak Smyth]

I am soo confused now, not even sure if I like cake at this point!

[shilala]

I commend thee. I'd like you to follow me around and slap me in the back of the head every time I talk like a hillbilly. :D
[puro] adj. pure, uncontaminated, untainted; clean, free of dirt; absolute, utter

It is an adjective, "part of speech used to modify a noun". Ergo, it is meaningless without an explicit or implicit noun upon which to act.

A simple test would be, for example, to replace "puro" in a sentence with your chosen definition. For example, let's say we want "puro" to mean "cigar".

I smoked a rockin Nicaraguan cigar today (not bad, but not what you really intended).

Now, let's use one of the words from the definition above.

I smoked a rockin Nicaraguan pure today. Not so good. However, I think that if we made it a real adjective, we get something like this: I smoked a rockin pure Nicaraguan cigar today.

Much better, me thinks.

I tend to slant towards the rules of the Blue Book (http://www.grammarbook.com/) but can go with the flow for anyone who wants to head in the direction of Strunk and White (original is online here: http://www.crockford.com/wrrrld/style.html).

[shilala]

I am soo confused now, not even sure if I like cake at this point!
Oh yeah, you like cake. It's the universal constant. That's why I added it.

[Blak Smyth]

Oh yeah, you like cake. It's the universal constant. That's why I added it.

No on cake, but...

...I am 73% sure I want a donkey. So when people say "Hey jackass", I will think they are referring to my sluggish stead I would be using for transportation and therefore saving myself some hurt feelings.

[shilala]

No on cake, but...

...I am 73% sure I want a donkey. So when people say "Hey jackass", I will think they are referring to my sluggish stead I would be using for transportation and therefore saving myself some hurt feelings.
Now you're thinkin', stud. :tu

[Blak Smyth]

Now you're thinkin', stud. :tu

Sorry, it's the coffee thinking. I clearly don't know what I am typing anymore. Oh and I like cake again! :tu

[longknocker]

I Believe What You Believe, Scott!:):tu

[mariogolbee]

The problem I see with the interpretations of how the word "puro" is used in this thread, as pertaining to cigars, is that you guys are trying to use a literal translation from Spanish to English. Anyone here who speaks Spanish can attest to this not always being possible. Being of Mexican AND Cuban ancestry, I have heard the word "puro" used in Spanish by Mexicans AND Cubans AND other Latino-Americanos to pertain to a cigar. If BOTL are going to say "marca" (which literally translated means mark) rather than "brand" to refer to a brand, then why try to change the word "puro?"

Since I have been into this hobby I have seen it widely accepted to use "Nic Puro," "Dominican Puro," etc. to refer to a cigar with all components being from a single country. This is a colloquialism and makes sense.

Elements of Style (which is on my shelf as I type this) is a wonderful little book and is, IMO, the be all-style-guide of the American English language, but not of the Spanish language. Native English speakers tend to hold the meaning and use of language by another people to their own. This is not purely linguistics, it is ethnocentrism.

I am in no way putting down my native language, American-English, in this thread. That is not my intent. I am simply attempting to demonstrate to you all that you are attempting to translate something incorrectly.

One last comment. "Anillo" means "ring" in Spanish. The root word, "ano" means "anus," but one would not literally translate this as "little anus" when placing an anillo on their wife's finger.

[Bill86]

I voted twice, on that note...not many people here like cake. I find that strange.

[chand]

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, but sometimes it is a puro. :sh

[shilala]

I voted twice, on that note...not many people here like cake. I find that strange.
Hmm. That is a little odd, now that you mentioned it. :confused:

[Bad Finger]

Cake > Pie

[BlkDrew]

Cake > Pie

Pumpkin Pie > Cake

[JenksAnejo]

Agree with the majority!

[ApexAZ]

I like Puro cake

[cigarmonkel]

Puro pie cake? mmm the crust of the cake is pie and the filling of the pie is cake!

[Pat1075]

I like cookies better than I like cake.

As a rule I have to agree with you although cake does have its place.
And BTW my donkey's name is cake.

[smitty81]

someone say cake?

[Zeuceone]

The rule of 3's

[smitty81]

The rule of 3's

Three different kinds of cake?:confused:

[Zeuceone]

OThree different kinds of cake?:confused:

One cake three layers.

[smitty81]

O

One cake three layers.

:dr

[BlkDrew]

Puro pie cake? mmm the crust of the cake is pie and the filling of the pie is cake!

I think you are on to something.... I will have to make said dessert..

[akumushi]

I like my cakes to have ingredients from only one nation of origin. Does that mean I'm eating a puro?

[Mattso3000]

Yup, cake was the only option I saw.

[shilala]

I like my cakes to have ingredients from only one nation of origin. Does that mean I'm eating a puro?
Depends who bakes it. :)

[GreekGodX]

This makes a lot of sense that the word puro means cigar because in Greek the word for cigar is πούρο, pronounced poúro.

I can't go further than that because it is a Spanish word. I believe that it means from a single origin.

[Blak Smyth]

Mmmm cake!
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pphabxXKGIo/TX6FFkFrTbI/AAAAAAAAARo/CavcMgdfyqM/s1600/20080711-tom-selleck-cake.jpg

[shilala]

LOL. :lr

[akumushi]

I've heard the word used both ways, and as most people have mentioned, I've noticed that in Spanish, the word is more closely aligned with being slang for any premium cigar, (if it ever had anything to do with the composition of the cigar, it probably became generic because until very recently the majority of quality cigars available in Latin America were puros), whereas in American English, since most cigars on the U.S. market have been blends ever since the embargo, manufacturers have recently started using the word in a more specialized sense in order to sell the relatively new concept of high quality pure Nicaraguan or Dominican cigars. It would be interesting to see just when exactly this use of the word started showing up, but I'd venture a guess and say during the 90's boom.
While Drew Estate was using the word correctly in the traditional Spanish sense of the word, in the current U.S. market it is a bit duplicitous to use it that way, because while the rest of the world still thinks a puro is just a cigar, the American market they're selling it in has a much more specialized definition of the term. Just as you'd get two different things asking for a "rubber" in America or Australia, a "puro," means different things to different people. This is just another example of how every manufacturer in the world uses the same God damned terms to mean completely different things, such that one brand's Toro is another brand's Churchill is another brand's Robusto. It's a maddening smokescreen of hype and marketing-babble for any newb to unravel.
:confused:

[smitty81]

Mmmm cake!
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pphabxXKGIo/TX6FFkFrTbI/AAAAAAAAARo/CavcMgdfyqM/s1600/20080711-tom-selleck-cake.jpg

that burt reynolds?

[BSB]

Tom Sellack, Magnum P.I.

[Blak Smyth]

Tom Sellack, Magnum P.I.

Ding Ding Ding

[shilala]

While Drew Estate was using the word correctly in the traditional Spanish sense of the word, in the current U.S. market it is a bit duplicitous to use it that way, because while the rest of the world still thinks a puro is just a cigar, the American market they're selling it in has a much more specialized definition of the term. Just as you'd get two different things asking for a "rubber" in America or Australia, a "puro," means different things to different people. This is just another example of how every manufacturer in the world uses the same God damned terms to mean completely different things, such that one brand's Toro is another brand's Churchill is another brand's Robusto. It's a maddening smokescreen of hype and marketing-babble for any newb to unravel.
:confused:
That's pretty much where I was coming from, Clayton. Also, on the same app, I saw the length of cigars in both millimeters and inches. So apparently it really doesn't matter if no one understands what you're trying to put out there.

[OLS]

WHAT?!?!? You doubt the vocabulary and cigar knowledge of a man that wears BLUE glasses?
You are no gentleman sir! Then again I leave him to his descriptions of things, because to each
his own vocabulary and choice of using what words to mean what things. It's not like he said
tampon.

[shilala]

Nah, I'm not ragging him at all, Brad. I don't even know if he had a read on the crap that's in the app. I should clarify that where I saw cigars in millimeters, that line was just in millimeters. Then another line was in inches.
Add to that a cigar is a puro, then it's not a puro, that stuff drives me nuts.
He probably doesn't even get a look at the ad copy for the website and app, so I've been real careful not to lay it on him, regardless of his glasses.
I'm pretty sure he kissed Ferdie on the mouth, but that was in the Enquirer, so I'm not lending much creedence to that rumor, either.

[maninblack]

I prefer puro pie. Cake, you can keep that sh!t.

[lenguamor]

We standardized languages for a reason: to communicate effectively. While languages are fluid over long periods of time, improper usage is improper usage, period, end of story.

A "puro" is a cigar whose component tobaccos are all grown in the same country. Any usage outside that single parameter is incorrect, regardless of the status of the one mangling the language.

[MarkinAZ]

I like Puro cake

Well, then we're talking about the milk, flour, eggs, sugar, and so on that originates from the same regional market...;s

[bobarian]

Its amazing how we American's find it necessary to force those who speak other languages to conform to our bastardized usage of their colloquialisms.

Why is it so important that others use their language the way we see fit? :sh

[pnoon]

Its amazing how we American's find it necessary to force those who speak other languages to conform to our bastardized usage of their colloquialisms.

Why is it so important that others use their language the way we see fit? :sh

Exactly.

[shilala]

Its amazing how we American's find it necessary to force those who speak other languages to conform to our bastardized usage of their colloquialisms.

Why is it so important that others use their language the way we see fit? :sh
I'm guessing you're asking why people expect people in the same country to use the same words to describe the same things? If so, Joe covered it really well up above.
Otherwise, if everyone calls a spoon something different, it'd really make it a pain in the ass to ask a waitress to get me something with which to eat my soup. :tu

[bobarian]

I'm guessing you're asking why people expect people in the same country to use the same words to describe the same things? If so, Joe covered it really well up above.
Otherwise, if everyone calls a spoon something different, it'd really make it a pain in the ass to ask a waitress to get me something with which to eat my soup. :tu

At what point was American English "standardized"? Washing powders, laundry detergent and soap are but one example of regional descriptions for the same product. I believe you will also find a thread here on the many words used for Soda, pop, coke, etc.

There is no such thing as standardized language, each region/country has their own colloquialisms and slang.

[smitty81]

Its amazing how we American's find it necessary to force those who speak other languages to conform to our bastardized usage of their colloquialisms.

Why is it so important that others use their language the way we see fit? :sh

So...................your saying if I went to mexico, they would speak english for me?

[mariogolbee]

First of all, in order to "communicate effectively," at least in (North) American English, one should state subject matter. So...who is "we?" Is "we" you and your best friend, members of CA, BOTL, North Americans in the US, or some other group? I'm going to assume for a moment that you mean North Americans in the US. With this assumption, are you stating that "we" standardized the Spanish language? If so, when did this happen?

"While languages are fluid over long periods of time, improper usage is improper usage..." This has some truth to it. When did "football" become "soccer?"

"Any usage outside [of a particular language's word's] single parameter is incorrect, regardless of the status of the one mangling the language." You do realize that North American's in the US do not speak proper English, don't you?

We standardized languages for a reason: to communicate effectively. While languages are fluid over long periods of time, improper usage is improper usage, period, end of story.

A "puro" is a cigar whose component tobaccos are all grown in the same country. Any usage outside that single parameter is incorrect, regardless of the status of the one mangling the language.

I don't recall anyone ever saying "puro Dominicano," but I have heard "Nic puro," and "puro." I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that "Nic puro" is as much of a North American idea as "burrito."

BTW, did you know that "pedo" is literally translated as "fart?" If you translate it with "puro" literally into American English it translates as "pure fart?" Now, you can claim this refers to a fart that only come from one person (such as Peter), but in Spanish it is more akin to the American English
slang phrase "bullsh*t," which, ironically, is quite relevant in your claim.

Lastly, part of being able to "communicate effectively" is not using absolutes such as "period" and "end of story."

[Texan in Mexico]

Ok, I wasnt going to add on but your post made me laugh.

One of the frustrating and beautiful qualities of Spanish is that each country, and many times each region within a country, uses the same word for different things or different words for the same thing.

Is it wrong for him to use the word "puro"? No, it is a marketing tool IMHO plain and simple.

For me a puro is a tobacco with all its parts from the same country.

I get to travel a bit through the Caribbean and Latin America for work and some places what we know as a cigar is referred to as puro, tobacco o cigarro.

It used to bug me but doesnt anymore...

En Mexico utilicen la palabra anillo de doble sentido como broma - ya sabes todo se puede convertir en doble sentido aqui! Jaja

The problem I see with the interpretations of how the word "puro" is used in this thread, as pertaining to cigars, is that you guys are trying to use a literal translation from Spanish to English. Anyone here who speaks Spanish can attest to this not always being possible. Being of Mexican AND Cuban ancestry, I have heard the word "puro" used in Spanish by Mexicans AND Cubans AND other Latino-Americanos to pertain to a cigar. If BOTL are going to say "marca" (which literally translated means mark) rather than "brand" to refer to a brand, then why try to change the word "puro?"

Since I have been into this hobby I have seen it widely accepted to use "Nic Puro," "Dominican Puro," etc. to refer to a cigar with all components being from a single country. This is a colloquialism and makes sense.

Elements of Style (which is on my shelf as I type this) is a wonderful little book and is, IMO, the be all-style-guide of the American English language, but not of the Spanish language. Native English speakers tend to hold the meaning and use of language by another people to their own. This is not purely linguistics, it is ethnocentrism.

I am in no way putting down my native language, American-English, in this thread. That is not my intent. I am simply attempting to demonstrate to you all that you are attempting to translate something incorrectly.

One last comment. "Anillo" means "ring" in Spanish. The root word, "ano" means "anus," but one would not literally translate this as "little anus" when placing an anillo on their wife's finger.
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