Bogarting

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To unreasonably control or use an item, denying others a chance to share it To monopolize a resource or possession, effectively excluding others from benefiting To take over a communal space or item, significantly limiting collective access and enjoyment
2. To dominate the use of something in a way that prevents others from having access
3. To keep exclusive control over an item or resource, denying others the opportunity to use it

Etymology: The surname at the root of this word belonged to a Dutch family, not an English one. "Bogaard" meant "keeper of an orchard," built from "boomgaard," a compound of "boom" (tree, cognate with English "beam") and "garden." The American actor Humphrey Bogart carried that name, and his screen persona gave the verb its shape. The verb grew out of a 1960s habit: keeping a marijuana cigarette ("joint") clamped in the mouth instead of passing it along. The image came from Bogart's famous on-screen habit of letting a cigarette dangle from his lips, even while speaking. Several films are offered as the source of the image. One is "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" (1948), in which his character grows ever more possessive of the gold shared with his partners. Another is "The Big Sleep" (1946), where Lauren Bacall lights a cigarette for him while he is tied up, so he must keep it dangling for the rest of the scene. The word became widely known through the 1960s band The Fraternity of Man, whose song "Don't Bogart That Joint" was released in 1968. The label's version was retitled "Don't Bogart Me," a detail that shows how quickly the phrase spread into everyday use.

Synonyms: hogging, monopolizing, dominating, seizing, controlling

Antonyms: sharing, distributing, dividing, allocating, parting