ENGLISH
REFERENCE

cotton to

idiom
Meaning

To like; approve of, accept, or tolerate.


Origin

disputed origin

According to Michael Quinion of World Wide Words, "It has plausibly been suggested it came from the use of mixtures of cotton and other fibres in clothing. In the early 1800s, to cotton to somebody implied that you were drawn or attached to that person. It may be that the idea here is how well a thread of cotton sticks to the surface of cloth."

Examples
SIMPLE

I did not cotton to his rude attitude at all.

CONTEXTUAL

The team did not immediately cotton to the new manager, but they grew to respect her over time.

COMPLEX

Although the critics were initially skeptical, they eventually began to cotton to the director's unconventional and experimental style of filmmaking.

Anchors to
Related idioms2entries
  1. 01

    high cotton

    The best of times; a time of well being.

  2. 02

    wrap in cotton wool

    To treat delicately, to baby, to coddle.

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