cowboy killer
A darkly humorous American slang term for a cigarette, playing on the iconic Marlboro Man imagery — the rugged, horse-riding cowboy who became the face of tobacco advertising for decades.
Definitions
A darkly humorous American slang term for a cigarette, playing on the iconic Marlboro Man imagery — the rugged, horse-riding cowboy who became the face of tobacco advertising for decades. Calling a smoke a cowboy killer is a wry nod to the health risks of smoking, with a side of irony directed at the macho mythos the tobacco industry built around the habit. Still in active use, especially among those who appreciate deadpan humor about vices.
He stepped outside, lit up a cowboy killer, and stared at the parking lot like he had somewhere better to be.
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(US, slang, idiomatic) A cigarette.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
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