cabbagio perfumo, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

cabbagio perfumo n.

also el Cabbagio

[cod Spanish meaning ‘a perfumed cabbage’; mocking the Spanish/Cuban origin of the best cigars and their names; note cabbage n.² (2a)]

a cheap cigar; cit. 1901 refers to tobacco.

1901		J. Ralph et al. War’s Brighter Side 372: We lit our pipes, and the aromatic fumes of our Boer’s Head cabbagio were wafted heavenwards.
1919		Judge LXXVII 28/2: How do you know it was a woman who bought you those El Cabbagio stogies for Christmas?
1926		Amer. Mercury 18: If the El Cabbagio Cigar runs off a 10,000-line advertising programme and a month after it terminates a cigar survey comes along [etc.] .
1984		Partridge DSUE (8th edn) 171/2: late C.19–20.