Idiom
high cotton
Meaning
The best of times; a time of well being.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“Life is in high cotton for them right now.”
“You are in high cotton now that your business is a success.”
“After the promotion and the new house, the family is really living in high cotton.”
“With the harvest finished and the bills paid, the farmers felt they were in high cotton for the first time in years.”
“The local sports team is in high cotton after winning ten games in a row and securing a spot in the finals.”
“Having finally achieved the professional success he long sought, he found himself in high cotton, enjoying the fruits of his labor.”
Examples
simple
“Life is in high cotton for them right now.”
“You are in high cotton now that your business is a success.”
contextual
“After the promotion and the new house, the family is really living in high cotton.”
“With the harvest finished and the bills paid, the farmers felt they were in high cotton for the first time in years.”
“The local sports team is in high cotton after winning ten games in a row and securing a spot in the finals.”
complex
“Having finally achieved the professional success he long sought, he found himself in high cotton, enjoying the fruits of his labor.”
Origin
The term originates from the rural farming communities of the American South during the antebellum period, preceding the Civil War. It describes a crop of sufficient height and density to indicate a successful harvest.
When the cotton was high, the yields were typically substantial and the market prices correspondingly favourable. The phrase has since transitioned from a literal agricultural observation to a general remark on personal prosperity.
Key words
Related idioms
- Updated