Who is the typical cigar smoker? Some people associate cigar smoking with refinement, gentlemanliness, the enjoyment of the finer things in life. Some people, on the other hand, see cigar smokers as members of the intellectual elite. Other still consider cigar-smoking to be a symbol of blue-collar toughness. All of these images have their basis in famous men who were known to be smokers.

Winston Churchill is perhaps the most famous of historical cigar smokers: he even has a cigar size named after him. Churchill is known both for his unconventionality and his staunch virility, and it is largely through his example that the cigar has come to be associated with these qualities. Helping to reinforce this image in the contemporary scene are Bruce Willis and Harrison Ford.

On the other hand, some picture the typical cigar smoker as a relentless, self-interested fat-cat, ambitious and ruthless. This goes hand-in-hand with the now-traditional association of cigar-smoking with affluence. Part of the reason for this is that a really fine cigar is usually anything but cheap; and Cigar Aficionado (not to mention several Hollywood productions) has helped cultivate the image of the rich cigar-smoker. Michael Douglas, who often plays Wall-Street types, is known to enjoy cigars. And then of course there's Fidel Castro.

The intellectual world also has its share of cigar smokers. Probably the most famous is Sigmund Freud, the psychologist who revolutionized his field. Given the nature of his work in dream symbols, it was only natural that his colleagues joked about the possible phallic symbolism of his cigar habit — to which he famously replied, "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar."

Given the common association of cigars with manliness, it's less common for women to smoke cigars, but that doesn't mean there haven't been any who do. Modern celebrities who smoke include Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg — perhaps unsurprisingly, since both women are known for their unconventionality. More historically, the political philosopher Hannah Arendt smoked, and probably enjoyed the stir that this was likely to have caused.

Just as perennial as the image of the affluent cigar smoker, though, is the image of the tramp lighting up a cast-off stogey. This image, too, is tied to celebrities. Groucho Marx, known for his shrewd, slapstick skewering of the upper class, famously enjoyed cigars, as did Charlie Chaplin, who frequently portrayed the simple, the poor, and those who were just down on their luck. Whatever your income, social status, or personal tastes, the smoking and appreciation of fine cigars is a time-honored tradition and (whatever your wife may say) one that deserves to be kept up.