jeromeroselli Posted March 12, 2009 Posted March 12, 2009 So I'd like to clear up a couple of questions that always linger in my head. Things that I always just accept, rather than seek to find the answers why. I'm sure there are others out there who wonder the same things. 1. Havana/Habana - What's the difference? I see both tossed around an equal amount especially on bands and boxes. 2. Why Robusto? Why Lancero? Why Coffins? Why Corona? Why Siglo? Where do these terms come from? 3. Do you say Ro-Bust-O or Ro-Boo-Sto? If you say the latter, how long did you say the former before you felt like an idiot? 4. What does the S.A. stand for in Habanos S.A. Thanks in advance to the answers to my nagging questions! -jeremy PS Who else has silly questions? I know some of you do so please let's learn from each other.
cigargirl85 Posted March 12, 2009 Posted March 12, 2009 3. Do you say Ro-Bust-O or Ro-Boo-Sto? If you say the latter, how long did you say the former before you felt like an idiot? Pronunciation always gets me. This is why video reviews are good, although sometimes they don't help at all because Rob seems to go for the more authentically Spanish pronunciation (ie "Ro-boo-sto") where as others don't. From which I can only conclude, anything goes! The rest of your questions are good too, I await the answers.
cigarros Posted March 12, 2009 Posted March 12, 2009 1. Havana/Habana - What's the difference? I see both tossed around an equal amount especially on bands and boxes. Havana as a trade name for cigars is with little doubt the oldest trade name in America as it has been used since the days of Columbus to describe tobacco grown on the Island of Cuba. 2. Why Robusto? Where do these terms come from? Min Ron Nee wrote that Robusto first - sigar slang. Reffering to parejo shape cigar of size around 48 to 50 ring gauge and about 5 inches in length. London banker Leopold de Rothschild commissioned the HdM factory in the 1880's to produce this cigar for him. Now in USA you still called this size Rothschild. And else Robusto mean a factory vitola name. 4. What does the S.A. stand for in Habanos S.A. The full name is Habanos Sociedad Anomina. I don't know exactly what is mean? May be spanish abbreviatura joint stock company? Another silly questions? Ok. Why HSA withdraws from production every year so many good cigars?
Morientes50 Posted March 12, 2009 Posted March 12, 2009 4. What does the S.A. stand for in Habanos S.A. Its the same as "inc." in America. It designates that it is a business. And pronouncing a word like Robusto just depends on if you want to pronounce it closely to spanish or more like english. The different alphabets means differences in way of saying. In English U=uh sound, while U in spanish is more of an "oo" sound.
jeromeroselli Posted March 13, 2009 Author Posted March 13, 2009 Nice to know. But I'm shocked no one else has any weird or obvious questions.
zuma Posted March 13, 2009 Posted March 13, 2009 1. Havana/Habana - What's the difference? I see both tossed around an equal amount especially on bands and boxes. 2. Why Robusto? Why Lancero? Why Coffins? Why Corona? Why Siglo? Where do these terms come from? 3. Do you say Ro-Bust-O or Ro-Boo-Sto? If you say the latter, how long did you say the former before you felt like an idiot? 4. What does the S.A. stand for in Habanos S.A. I'll throw in my two cents worth ('cause I have nothing better to do at near 2 am): 1. La Habana, short for San Cristobal de la Habana, the proper name of the capital of Cuba... in English it is translated as Havana (just like London is Londres in Spanish, and the original Geneve becomes Geneva in English or Ginebra in Spanish). The choice of name used in bands/boxes perhaps denotes the original market targeted. 2. Robusto = short and stout; Lancero = reference perhaps to the lance used by picadores in bullfighting, long and skinny; Corona = crown, no clue (possibly a whim of some past producer to signal its best product, or possibly produced first at La Corona); Siglo = century, refers to the Linea 1492 that commemorates 5 centuries since the discovery of America (Cuba and tobacco and cigars in the same voyage)... one cigar per century (siglo I to V) until the release of the siglo VI in 2002. 3. Robusto = Roboostoh... man, you say what you say to make yourself understood (otherwise your supplier may not know what the hell you are taking about... like pedantically saying "Coiba" - the H is silent in Cohiba; that is, in Spanish - ... or Ramon Ayones - as double L is Y in Spanish) 4. S. A. = Sociedad Anonima (literally, Anonymous society) an incorporated business set up by a group of investors that need not know each other.
BobLobLaw Posted March 14, 2009 Posted March 14, 2009 Great questions, anyone have an answer to the why coffins part? I will take the bait and ask an obvious question. That is what is the difference between dress boxes and cabs from a quality perspective? I get the impression that most prefer cigars from cabs and treat them as "superior" for whatever reason. My only guess is that it has to do with the fact that they are not "box-pressed" which is a less aesthetically pleasing shape and also may compress the tobacco affecting the draw, and possibly flavor? Or is my initial impression completely wrong and there is no difference?
jeromeroselli Posted March 14, 2009 Author Posted March 14, 2009 Great answers Zuma, and great questions bob. I'll try to offer up an expansion to your question: Do singles come from cabs?
Colt45 Posted March 14, 2009 Posted March 14, 2009 I'm not a Spanish speaker, but in the case of Habana / Havana, it's my understanding that the b and v are pronounced the same - as v. I know we have some native speakers who can expound further. Dress boxes and cabs of the same cigar should be of the same quality. There was a time when cabs were considered to be of superior quality, but according to discussions we've had here, it has not been the case for some time. Aside from the box press (which some like), many prefer a cab / SLB for aging purposes, due to the cigars being in close proximity to each other in the round of a cab, and the resulting "flow of air". I've received singles from cabs and dress boxes. And while I would not expect a great box to be broken for a few singles, I do expect the best quality available from what has been set aside for that purpose, and not cast-offs.
zuma Posted March 14, 2009 Posted March 14, 2009 I'm not a Spanish speaker, but in the case of Habana / Havana, it's my understanding that the b and v are pronounced the same - as v. I know we have some native speakers who can expound further. In Spanish, the V and B are pronounced the same, approximating the sound of B in English (which is somewhat softer in Spanish). Thus, "Havana" and "Habana" sound the same in Spanish but quite different in English (Habana being the orthographic form in Spanish). "Havana" is used mainly in the English speaking world (unless spelled incorrectly in Spanish, as it often happens ) .
ndtoronto Posted March 15, 2009 Posted March 15, 2009 Thanks very much for asking these questions and an even bigger Thank you for answering them
jeromeroselli Posted March 15, 2009 Author Posted March 15, 2009 Cheers toronto. Thanks for the insight Colt, I'd be interested to hear a native speaker with a definitive answer, but yours seems reasonable enough.
rfenst Posted May 22, 2009 Posted May 22, 2009 In the U.S., Robusto is currently used almost exclusively and Rothschild fell out of use 10 or so years ago. To me, Robusto denotes a 5 x 50 parejo, while Rothschild denotes a parejo that is slightly smaller, ranging from 4.5-4.9 x 48-49.
jeromeroselli Posted May 22, 2009 Author Posted May 22, 2009 Wow this thread was resurrected from the dead...
Ginseng Posted May 22, 2009 Posted May 22, 2009 I don't think I'd count March to May as "from the dead." Necro-thread classification officially requires a 2-year interval between posts. Wilkey
jeromeroselli Posted May 22, 2009 Author Posted May 22, 2009 From the general practitioners office. How's that Wilkey? Lol
James4226c Posted July 28, 2011 Posted July 28, 2011 I don't think I'd count March to May as "from the dead." Necro-thread classification officially requires a 2-year interval between posts. Wilkey Like this But seriously I was going crazy trying to find what s.a. was.
traded Posted July 29, 2011 Posted July 29, 2011 Where did herf come from? undoubtedly from a jerk that wanted to make cigar smoking sound absurd and stupid. I really hate that word/term. david
NitrousPurger Posted July 29, 2011 Posted July 29, 2011 For a while I though Por larranaga was pronounced "Por LA-RANGA" and that the NC Macanudo was pronounced "MACUN-DO" I felt like an idiot both times I found out. Only in my head did I ever say those names though...
Vortigan Posted July 29, 2011 Posted July 29, 2011 I really hate that word/term. Me too although I've no real idea why!
Omskakas Posted July 29, 2011 Posted July 29, 2011 Where did herf come from? I want to know that when you Americans pronounce the word, is "h" silent like in "herb"? Wanna 'erf with me?
dB69 Posted July 29, 2011 Posted July 29, 2011 I want to know that when you Americans pronounce the word, is "h" silent like in "herb"?Wanna 'erf with me? Isn't that silent "h" a bit Jamaican style?
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