Ever been in a circle where one person just... stops? They’re mid-story, hands waving wildly, while the expensive herb in their fingers slowly turns to a long, tragic pillar of ash. You’re waiting. Your friends are waiting. The vibe is stalling. Someone eventually mumbles, "Hey man, don’t bogart that joint."
It’s one of those phrases that feels like it’s been around since the dawn of time, or at least since the first person figured out how to roll a leaf. But the history is actually way weirder than just "pothead slang." It’s a mix of Golden Age Hollywood, a gritty counterculture movie, and a 1960s rock band that most people have completely forgotten.
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The Hollywood Legend Behind the Name
Let’s get the obvious question out of the way: Yes, it’s named after Humphrey Bogart.
The star of Casablanca and The Maltese Falcon wasn't exactly a known weed enthusiast—he was more of a "whiskey and three packs of Chesterfields a day" kind of guy. So how did his name become synonymous with being a selfish smoker?
Basically, Bogart had this specific screen habit. He’d let a cigarette dangle from the corner of his mouth for entire scenes. He wouldn't always puff on it; he’d just let it hang there while he delivered his lines in that iconic, gravelly voice. To a bunch of 1960s hippies, this looked exactly like that one friend who holds onto the joint while they talk for ten minutes straight.
You aren't smoking it. You aren't passing it. You're just... Bogarting it.
There is a secondary theory that people sometimes bring up. They point to Bogart's role as Fred C. Dobbs in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. In that movie, his character gets super paranoid and greedy over a stash of gold. While "being a greedy jerk" fits the definition, most etymologists and the guys who actually wrote the famous song say it’s definitely about the dangling cigarette.
The Song That Changed Everything
If you think the phrase came from a Little Feat album, you're only half right. The term was underground slang in the mid-60s, mostly used in Laurel Canyon and San Francisco circles. But it didn't go "viral"—in the analog sense—until a band called The Fraternity of Man recorded a song called "Don't Bogart Me" in 1968.
The lyrics were simple: "Don't bogart that joint, my friend / Pass it over to me."
Lawrence "Stash" Wagner, the band’s vocalist, later explained that the phrase came from his bandmate Elliot Ingber. They were sitting around getting high when Ingber told him to stop Bogarting the joint. They thought it was hilarious and wrote the song in about three minutes.
The Easy Rider Boost
The song might have stayed an obscure B-side if it wasn't for Dennis Hopper. When Hopper was editing Easy Rider in 1969, he was looking for music that captured the actual feel of the drug culture at the time. He threw "Don't Bogart Me" into the soundtrack during a scene where the characters are sitting around a campfire.
Suddenly, the whole world knew the term.
You have to remember, Easy Rider was a massive cultural earthquake. It was the first time "polite society" saw what hippie culture actually looked like from the inside. The phrase "don't bogart that joint" became a sort of secret handshake for a generation. If you knew what it meant, you were "in."
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It's Not Just About Weed Anymore
Language is a funny thing. It evolves. By the time we hit the 1980s and 90s, the word "bogart" started drifting away from the ashtray.
I’ve heard people use it for almost anything shared.
- "Don't bogart the nachos, man."
- "Quit bogarting the remote."
- "He’s bogarting the conversation."
Honestly, it’s a perfect verb. It describes a very specific type of selfishness: the act of holding onto something that is meant to be shared, often without even realizing you're doing it.
There's even a tougher version of the word. In some neighborhoods, "to bogart" means to bully or strong-arm your way into a situation. This also comes back to Humphrey Bogart, but this time it's about his "tough guy" persona. If you "bogart your way" into a club, you’re acting like a 1940s noir gangster.
The "Other" Bogart (The Wet One)
If you grew up in certain parts of the East Coast, you might know a completely different—and much grosser—meaning for the word.
In some circles, "bogarting" isn't about time; it's about saliva. Because Bogart let the cigarette hang from his lips, it would often get wet. If you pass a joint and the end is soggy because you let it sit in your mouth while you were talking?
Yeah. You Bogarted it.
It’s a point of debate in the smoking world. Is it about the time or the moisture? Most experts agree the "sharing" definition is the original one from the 1968 song, but the "soggy" definition has definitely carved out its own gross little niche in history.
Why the Phrase Still Matters in 2026
We live in an era of legalization. You can walk into a dispensary and buy pre-rolls that look like they were manufactured by a pharmaceutical company. The "clandestine" nature of sharing a single joint in a dark room is fading away as people move toward vapes, edibles, and personal joints.
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But the etiquette persists.
Whether you're sharing a blunt or a bowl of fries, the social contract remains the same: don't be the person who stalls the flow. The phrase "don't bogart that joint" survived because it names a universal human annoyance. Nobody likes a hoarder.
How to Not Be a "Bogart"
If you find yourself in a social circle where things are being passed around, here’s how to keep your reputation intact:
- Puff, Puff, Pass: It’s the golden rule for a reason. Two hits, then move it along.
- Finish the Story Later: If you have a long, complicated story to tell, pass the item before you get into the climax of the tale.
- Watch the Cherry: If it’s burning and you aren't hitting it, you're literally burning your friends' money.
- Mind the "Wetness" Factor: Keep it between your fingers, not your teeth.
The next time you hear that old Fraternity of Man song—or the more famous Little Feat live version from Waiting for Columbus—you’ll know you’re listening to a piece of linguistic history. It’s a bridge between the black-and-white films of the 40s and the hazy basements of the 60s.
Just remember: keep the circle moving. Don't be a Bogart.
To keep the "etiquette" side of your next social gathering sharp, you might want to look into the modern "Puff, Puff, Pass" rules that have updated for the era of legal lounges and personal vaporizers. Learning the difference between "camping" and "bogarting" can save you a lot of side-eye at your next party.