I saw a phrase that I hadn't seen before, "...and have known for years they'd have to cotton to the idea of interracial dating if they were going to date at all." This column was written by an African-American woman, lamenting that professional African-American women can't find African-American men to date, so they date white men. She used some other terms I hadn't heard of, such as BMW (black men working) and IBM (ideal black man). Funnily, she said that Condi Rice has better chances of becoming the president than of marrying.

Have you heard of these terms? I found this good discussion of "cotton to the idea" here. One of the quotes used the word "rubbish," and I wondered if it were also a U.K. phrase.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kalleh,

"I don't cotton...." to whatever always means one disagrees, or the idea isn't palatable... It's one of those things I've never thought of, but I do say it...

Along with "I have enough food for Sherman's Army"...

quote:

Originally posted by Kalleh:
... cotton to the idea ...

Well, now, I ain't heerd that phrase for a right long spell. I reckon it's been nigh on to forty year or more. I can't hardly recollect the last time.

Tinman

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Kalleh:
I saw a phrase that I hadn't seen before, "...and have known for years they'd have to cotton to the idea of interracial dating if they were going to date at all." QUOTE]
The clause: 'cotton on to' an idea, concept or meaning is commonplace, if a little old-fashioned, in the UK.
Brewer's Dictionary gives the meaning: 'To catch on, to grasp a line of thought.' It also cites 'To cotton to a person': To cling on or take a fancy to a person…as cotton sticks to our clothes.

I guess this is the basis for the metaphore.

AS pearce says, "to cotton on to" something is quite common in the UK, but I've never heard anyone use "cotton to"; hardly surprising if it's a regionalism from the Deep South.

quote:

Originally posted by pearce:
Brewer's Dictionary gives the meaning: 'To catch on, to grasp a line of thought.' It also cites 'To cotton to a person': To cling on or take a fancy to a person

The phrase is quite familiar to me, but I've never heard of the first sense.

And the latter sense is more typically used not for a person but to a situation or like intangible, as in, "I don't cotton to such a notion" -- or as in Kalleh's original example, to "cotton to the idea of interracial dating".

If you were speaking of a person, the phrase would be, "He takes a shine to her." I wonder where that came from.

cotton to.....Approve of; like; appreciate; fancy--H-C Dict of Am. Slang