The American slang term is first recorded in 1914, the shortened form fag shortly after, in 1921. Its immediate origin is unclear, but it is based on the word for bundle of sticks, ultimately derived, via Old French, Italian and Vulgar Latin, from Latin fascis.n the UK and some other countries, the words queer, homo, and poof are much more common as pejorative terms for gay men. The word faggot typically refers to a kind of meatball, while fag is most commonly used as a slang term for cigarette.