A song made popular by the folk group Peter, Paul and Mary in 1963.

The song is believed by many to refer to smoking marijuana, yet according to its author, Leonard "Lenny" Lipton, it's a simple sentimental song about the loss of childhood and nothing more.

In 1958 Lenny Lipton graduated from high school and headed off to college at Cornell in Ithaca. He came to the realization that he was not a little kid anymore and never would be; that made him sad.

One night in 1959 Lenny headed for the Cornell library. He had just turned nineteen. He found a book of poems by Ogden Nash, one of which discussed a Really-o Truly-o Dragon. After he was finished he left the library and went to visit his friend Lenny Edelstein.

Lenny Lipton was thinking again about the loss of his carefree childhood days, and he was inspired by the poems he had been reading earlier in the evening. So he decided to write a poem of his own. He wrote for about three minutes and felt somewhat soothed. He left the poem in Peter's typewriter, and then left.

Peter returned and saw the sheet of paper in the typewriter. He was a singer/performer/concert organizer, he liked what he saw and put some music to it, and later began to use it in some of his performances.

Peter later joined a group and used the song. It became more and more popular, and eventually the group recorded it. Within a few years it had become a top ten pop song. Peter went back and tracked down Lenny Lipton, who was by that time a counselor at a summer camp. Peter added Lenny Lipton's name as a co-writer, and Lipton has done well with the royalties he has received ever since.

Peter was Peter Yarrow, and his group was Peter, Paul and Mary. The song reached number 2 on the charts early in 1963.

Puff the Magic Dragon is a song about growing up and leaving behind the innocence of childhood. When Jackie Paper "came no more" it's a reference to him growing up.

Puff the Magic Dragon by t.m.d. December 16, 2008

Puff the Magic Dragon

Paff,Der Zauberdrachen (Puff the Magic Dragon) song sang in german & performed Monkey Circus linz 1975 by Marlene Dietrich where her very long career largely ended when she broke her leg:Believed by some trippy hippies to refer to smoking marijuana,due to references to paper dragon(draggin)and puffs of smoke.therfore being banned around some of the world with it's association with the drug culture.

hippy: PMD a coded song about marijuana.
negra:no shit bro,i tink it was the Spooky Douglas AC-47 gunships developed by the US Air Force during the Vietnam War.
hippy:O hare krishna Puff the Magic Dragon maybe your right!

Puff the Magic Dragon by mohair June 15, 2007

puff the magic drag queen

A spirit of a dead Toronto drag queen known to momentarily inhibit bodies of men. When inhibited, men will exhibit symptoms of a flamboyancy and deeply-pitched female speech.

Nailo is being possesed by puff the magic drag queen. He sounds like that dead Toronto drag queen from some time ago.

puff the magic drag queen by Nailo April 28, 2005

Puff the Magic Dragon

To smoke weed/pot/ganja and get high.
The magic dragon usually refers to the item the marijuana is being smoked in. ie- bong, joint, pipe

A bunch of friends are sitting around a campfire and about to smoke. John pulls out his pipe and bag of weed and says to the whole group " Who wants to puff the magic dragon?"

Duke William and Dutchess Kate puffed the magic dragon on their wedding night and got baked off their royal asses.

Puff the Magic Dragon by YankeeFanatic June 7, 2011

God Shot

A chance happening with profound meaning, an unexpected blessing, a "sign".

Dr. Drew on Celebrity Rehab said "All of a sudden what had been just another Hollywood proposal became for him an unexpected blessing, an opportunity for growth. In drug recovery language, that's called a "God shot."

God Shot by Imogen1564 February 25, 2011

Word of the Day on September 18, 2026

city chicken

A food native to Pittsburgh/Western Pennsylvania in which cubes of pork and/or veal are put on a short, wooden skewer, breaded, then baked and/or fried.

I've heard that city chicken originated during the Great Depression, when folks didn't have enough money to buy full cuts of meat, so they assembled meat scraps on a wooden skewer, creating a make-shift drumstick. Hence the name.

Are yinz havin' city chicken for dinner?

city chicken by TRF August 31, 2006

Word of the Day on September 17, 2026

Is that cake?

Another way to say is this fake? Like the show real or cake

“Slayyyter just announced another album last night”
“No way, is that cake?”
“Yeah whoops this isn’t real”

Is that cake? by Sexyyred September 15, 2026

Word of the Day on September 16, 2026

just fokin missing her

native american reservation origin... to miss an ex so badly that everyone can see it.. can be used for either sex eg. just fokin missing her/him

friend : *noticably sad*
me : look at you all sad & shit
friend : shut up!
me : just fokin missing her huh?

just fokin missing her by d i z k o 2 0 8 September 14, 2026

Word of the Day on September 15, 2026

endwarfins

The rush of neurotransmitters and neuropeptides triggered specifically by watching the Seven Dwarfs march home singing "Heigh-Ho" — that particular high of pickaxes, whistling while you work, and communal domestic bliss in a cottage built for men half your height.

I only meant to watch the Heigh-Ho scene for the endwarfins, and then it was two hours later and I'd watched the whole movie.

Endwarfins aren't just a Snow White thing — I get the same hit off the Lollipop Guild in Oz.

endwarfins by Howard Ogden September 13, 2026

Word of the Day on September 14, 2026

caillou

A slang term used to describe a bald person, typically someone who is completely bald or has a closely shaved head. The term is derived from the infamous, hairless kids’ cartoon character of the same name.

Example 1:
“Did you see that caillou over there? His head is reflecting the sun like a disco ball.”
Example 2:
“I think Dave is finally accepting his hair loss. He just went full caillou and shaved the whole thing off.”

caillou by WMH01 September 12, 2026

Word of the Day on September 13, 2026