roll one's own

verb

To create something of which an analogue is commercially available.

“My custom wordprocessor? Yeah, I could have just installed Word or OpenOffice, but I always prefer to roll my own.”

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Meanings

verbroll one's own (third-person singular simple present rolls one's own, present participle rolling one's own, simple past and past participle rolled one's own)

present singular third person rolls one's own · participle present rolling one's own · participle past rolled one's own · past rolled one's own

  1. idiomaticinformalcomputingTo create something of which an analogue is commercially available.

    My custom wordprocessor? Yeah, I could have just installed Word or OpenOffice, but I always prefer to roll my own.

Origin

From cigarettes, which are available commercially rolled (i.e., with the paper around the substance being smoked) but which some prefer to roll.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

roll one's own. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/roll%20one's%20own

MLA

“roll one's own.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/roll%20one's%20own. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “roll one's own,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/roll%20one's%20own.

Source: roll one's own on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.