coon's age

English

Etymology

An Americanism recorded in 1843 and probably related to the old English expression in a crow's age meaning the same.

Noun

coon's age (plural coon's ages)

(idiomatic, US, colloquial) A very long time.
Jarn hasn't seen Schnie in a coon's age.

We've been waiting a coon's age for our damn food.

Usage notes

The word coon is a colloquialism for the North American raccoon.

Synonyms

(colloquial: a long time): dog's age

References

Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins, Robert Hendrickson (Facts on File, New York, 1997), page 168.

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