coon's age


noun Informal.

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

Origin of coon's age

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45

Words nearby coon's age

British Dictionary definitions for coon's age

coon's age

noun

US slang a long time

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.