Since I used the phrase don’t cotton to in a poem the other day, I thought I should give credit where credit is due and see if I could find something about its history on teh interwebs.
Here is what I found on wiki answers (probably not the greatest authority on such matters, but I did find my copy, without actually trying, by way of cleaning off a shelf, of Charles Earle Funk’s Hog on Ice the other day. Said book was referenced by our dear Uncle Doug in a comment on yet another recent blog post in which I wrote a bit about other idiomatic and/or folksy sayings). But Monsieur Funk had not a word to say about don’t cotton to, so take it away wiki:
This phrase dates from somewhere in the 16th Century. Originally, it was a textile term – to “cotton” or “cotton well” referred to the success of the fibers melding together to form cotton cloth. Around the 16th Century, the phrase began to be used to mean “to be successful,” or “to prosper” in reference to people and things. About the 19th Century, the phrase “to cotton to” began to see use, and meant “to be drawn to” or “to get along with.”
If you do not “cotton to” something, then you don’t care for it. This phrase is particularly common in the South, where the cotton industry formed the basis for the economy for many years.
Funny how words get changed so much over time isn’t it 🙂
Welcome, andy1076. Yes, language has a life of its own over time. One which we cannot control and which I find fascinating. It can change quickly sometimes and sometimes, meanings, words, and phrases last and last. Cool stuff!
It certainly is! there are a TON of words out there that some people don’t use anymore, just makes you wonder how many you can come up with if you were to put it in a book huh? 😀
Hey, Twink, I told you I’d be coming by! The amazing part of the English language on this side of the Pond is that, given the sprawling regions, the colloquialisms are endless. Plus, our language is so fluid… my speech is full of things like, “Doesn’t that just frost your apricots?” and, “Happy as a clam at high tide.” (Most folks just say “happy as a clam” and they don’t know why, but at high tide, one cannot dig for the clams, so they are safe. Cool, huh?)
Thanks again for stopping by my blog! Peace, Amy
http://sharplittlepencil.wordpress.com/2011/12/12/impromptu-for-marques/
Welcome, Amy. I also read the reply you sent to me in re: your poem, thanks. I will reply again and then, who knows?
Oh, I love this comment. I will have to try to add “at high tide;” it’s so sensible. Tell me more any time!
Smiling at the end of my reading.. Culture and tradition affects how words evolved. But now its getting different, social media changed the way we see things I think 🙂 BTW, I just subscribed on your blog..
Welcome, Eunice, and thanks for stopping in and for subscribing. I’ll be heading over to your blog, too!