# What is a torcher? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 11, 2009, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-torcher/513422 "2009-10-11T19:52:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![blinkingblinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@blinkingblinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blinkingblinking)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2009, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-torcher/513422/1 "2009-10-11T19:52:08Z")
Quote from the Big Sleep by raymond Chandler - "What did the girl do before she married Eddie Mars?” “Torcher.” “Can’t you get any old professional pictures?” I would like to see if anyone knows the answer. Not really interested in speculation. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2009, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-torcher/513422/2 "2009-10-11T19:58:52Z")
Torcher probably = torch singer, someone who performs the songs of that era with great emotive content, including body language. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2009, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-torcher/513422/3 "2009-10-11T20:01:19Z")
Let’s call it deduction rather than speculation: a singer of torch songs; thus a nightclub chanteuse. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2009, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-torcher/513422/4 "2009-10-11T22:32:12Z")
The Urban Dictionary gives “singer of torch songs” as one possible meaning of “torcher”: > **[Urban Dictionary: Torcher](https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Torcher)** > > A painful shit that is caused by eating fast food, lapping up hot sauce, drinking lots of tequila, etc. During and after the event your asshole burns due to the damage caused to your intestinal track. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-torcher/513422/5 "2009-10-14T06:07:38Z")
That reminds me of the old _Burns and Allen_ radio show. Dinah Shore was the guest and she was singing her famous song “Tess’s Torch Song” Anyway Gracie always proud of George talks to Dinah Gracie) You sing well Dinah but George is a better singer. Dinah) I’ll admit I haven’t heard him sing lately, but can he sing Torch Songs? Gracie) Of course he can. I’ll tell you what, on our radio show, you can be a guest and we’ll have a contest. You sing a torch song and George will sing a torch song and we’ll let the audience decide which one’s torcher. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Claude\_Remains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@Claude\_Remains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claude_Remains)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-torcher/513422/6 "2009-10-14T06:41:05Z")
Intended typo. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-torcher/513422/7 "2009-10-14T07:41:23Z")
The OED confirms the deductions and speculations; _torcher_ is U.S. slang for a torch singer, and the first citation is Chandler, 1940 (_Farewell, my Lovely_, rather than _The Big Sleep_). ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-torcher/513422/8 "2009-10-14T21:51:44Z")
There’s considerable debate about whether a torcher is any good at getting information.