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Perhaps it comes from the way a cool person swaggers as they walk or perhaps it means that an item is to be treasured. Where they took this term from I can’t say. I suspect that sometime fairly recently (perhaps in the 1990’s or 2000’s), the word “swag” began being used by a youth culture in the U.S. The meaning of “swag” as “treasure” or “free giveaways” and the meaning of the word “swagger” clearly go back a long way. Out in the working world, I notice the working class, rural, closed-minded, head-of-household, father of 2.5 children reaches for his Marlboro Reds, while the 20 year old college student working the summer job still reaches for the Camels.Īfter reading the Urban Dictionary entry, I have a theory that “swag” in the meaning you’re talking about is a fairly recent fake etymology, not going back anywhere nearly as far as the early 1960’s. In college, Camel was the brand, and we were all liberal and open minded smokers. Camel smoker is, and I’m not necessarily interested in promoting one side or the other, but it does make sense to me that the two camps have picked their choice of tobacco, as I’ve seen it in my own life. There are arguments out there that attempt to peg who the average Marlboro vs. Swag may not have any roots in homosexuality, but may have subliminally crept into the advertising campaign Camel is aiming for.
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Of course that is an open argument, just as Marlboros are more likely to be consumed by republicans, farmers, homophobes, and just the opposite of the Camel Smokers. Camels seem to be brand of choice for gays, liberals, youth, moderns and generally anyone that would be gay friendly or more open. Camel Cigarettes use the term ‘swag’ on their website to mean the odds and ends users have earned or been given by the company.