coon's age
[ koonz-eyj ]
/ ˈkunz ˌeɪdʒ /
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noun Informal.
a long time: I haven't seen you in a coon's age!
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Origin of coon's age
usage note for coon's age
Coon is a shortened form of raccoon. Although a wild raccoon survives only 2 or 3 years on average, the phrase coon's age arose from the mistaken belief that these animals can live a long time. We still use the similar expression donkey's years, but coon's age has declined in use because coon is also a highly insulting term used to refer to a Black person.
Words nearby coon's age
coon cheese, coon dog, cooner, coonhound, Coon Rapids, coon's age, coonskin, coontie, coony, coop, cooper
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for coon's age
British Dictionary definitions for coon's age
coon's age
noun
US slang a long time
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Idioms and Phrases with coon's age
coon's age
Also, a dog's age. A very long time, as in I haven't seen Sam in a coon's age, or It's been a dog's age since I went to the ballpark. The first phrase rests on the mistaken idea that raccoons (“coons”) live a long time. The variant may reflect a similar assumption but the true origin is not known. [c. 1835] Also see donkey's years.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.