coon's age

American  

[koonz eyj] / ˈkunz ˌeɪdʒ /

noun

Informal.

1. a long time.

   I haven't seen you in a coon's age!

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coon's age British  

noun

1. slang a long time

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coon's age Idioms  

1. 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.

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Sensitive Note

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.

Etymology

Origin of coon's age

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45; coon ( def. ) (in the sense “raccoon”) + age ( def. ) (from the folk belief that raccoons are long-lived)