Where did the term “cigarette” boats come from?
WAG: Because they’re long and skinny, like a cigarette?
“I must leave this planet, if only for an hour.” – Antoine de St. Exupéry
Are you a turtle?
I thought that they were so named because they were originally used to smuggle cigarettes, BUT:
This from http://boatsafe.com/kids/cigboat.htm .
Even posting that, I can’t help but feel that they got the name from the job that they do. Can someone come up with a better cite than a kids webpage?
Hey, Cornflakes, relax. You know people never lie to children. 
Are you driving with your eyes open or are you using The Force? - A. Foley
Not necessarily a better cite than a kid’s webpage, but from someone with a bunch of boating experience, the story is correct. The real Cigarrette boats have an oval decal tear the stern with a large numeral “1” in along with words about the racing team. Other boats of this style will not have this decal.
Thanks for the info, everyone. Regarding cornflakes reply: I too thought they were so named because they were used in smuggling cigarettes (among other things) in the U.S. from canada over the great lakes. If fact, I also remember hearing the Joe Kennedy(JFK’s dad) was somehow involved.
Mojo: The Kennedys are always involved. And even if they aren’t, a plausible story can be fabricated to make it seem that they are.
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