Brandon made me giggle a couple of weeks ago when he told me he was looking forward to this summer because we haven’t been to the beach in a coon’s age. I hadn’t heard the idiom in so long I’d about forgotten of its existence. Though some prickle when they hear the phrase, there’s nothing offensive about it.
Coon is the shortened version of the word raccoon and has been in use since 1741. Though probably used much earlier, in a coon’s age dates back to 1843. It is an Americanization of the English phrase “in a crow’s age.” It describes an indefinite amount of time.
Back then, people believed raccoons had extensive lifespans. This belief is likely due to the durability of raccoon fur. Of course, today, we know the lifespan of a wild raccoon is only 2-3 years. That little fact hasn’t changed the meaning of the saying though.
So what’s something you haven’t done in a coon’s age?
**The information contained in the In A Coon’s Age post came from several websites including, The Phrase Finder, Your Dictionary, and The Free Dictionary.
