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The cheroot is a filterless cylindrical cigar with both ends clipped during manufacture. Since cheroots do not taper, they are inexpensive to roll mechanically, and their low cost makes them popular.
The word 'cheroot' probably comes via Portuguese ''charuto'', originally from Tamil ''curuttu/churuttu/shuruttu'' (சுருட்டு), "roll of tobacco". This word could have been absorbed into the French language from Tamil during the 18th century, when the French were trying to stamp their presence in
A whackin' white cheroot
Cigars
The cheroot is a filterless cylindrical cigar with both ends clipped during manufacture. Since cheroots do not taper, they are inexpensive to roll mechanically, and their low cost makes them popular.
The word 'cheroot' probably comes via Portuguese ''charuto'', originally from Tamil ''curuttu/churuttu/shuruttu'' (சுருட்டு), "roll of tobacco". This word could have been absorbed into the French language from Tamil during the 18th century, when the French were trying to stamp their presence in South India
South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the States and union territories of India, Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and T ...
. The word could have then been absorbed into English from French. Cheroots originated in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil languag ...
in India. Cheroot are longer than another filterless Indian-origin product, the beedi.
Asia
Cheroots are traditional inBurma
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
and India
India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...
, and consequently were popular among the British during the days of the British Empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading post ...
. They are often associated with Burma in literature:
Apparently, cheroot smoking was also associated with resistance against tropical disease in India. Verrier Elwin
Harry Verrier Holman Elwin (29 August 1902 – 22 February 1964) was a British-born Indian anthropologist, ethnologist and tribal activist, who began his career in India as a Christian missionary. He first abandoned the clergy, to work with M ...
wrote in a foreword (1957) to ''Leaves from the Jungle: Life in a Gond Village'':
Although a cheroot is defined as cylindrical, home-rolled cheroots in Burma are sometimes conical.
See also
* Beedi * CigarReferences
External links
{{Wiktionary, cheroot, stogieA whackin' white cheroot
Cigars