# "In A Coon's Age" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [January 9, 2009, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-a-coons-age/480592 "2009-01-09T22:06:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2009, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-a-coons-age/480592/21 "2009-01-10T21:23:58Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Many moons. Isn’t that liable to get you in trouble with Native Americans? ---
**Author:** ![reliance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aca169/32.png) [@reliance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reliance)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2009, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-a-coons-age/480592/22 "2009-01-10T23:59:20Z")
Well, I hadn’t anticipated so many responses to my initial observation, but for the sake of clarity I had better add that in Britain any use of the word ‘coon’ is a complete “No-no” these days. It was Alf Garnett’s routine sobriquet for West Indians in the seminal 1960s BBC TV comedy series Till Death Us Do Part, reflecting its common usage as recently as that period (and perhaps even today), by the white working classes in British cities during the period of mass immigration by West Indians after the War. I remember my grandmother (b1897) telling me about an Edwardian music hall act who called himself The Chocolate Coloured Coon; I discover now that this was George Elliott from Birmingham - he was still peddling his dubious talents in Variety revues as late as the 1950s! ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2009, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-a-coons-age/480592/23 "2009-01-11T17:29:21Z")
> [@reliance](#): > > Well, I hadn’t anticipated so many responses to my initial observation, but for the sake of clarity I had better add that in Britain any use of the word ‘coon’ is a complete “No-no” these days. It was Alf Garnett’s routine sobriquet for West Indians in the seminal 1960s BBC TV comedy series Till Death Us Do Part, reflecting its common usage as recently as that period (and perhaps even today), by the white working classes in British cities during the period of mass immigration by West Indians after the War. I remember my grandmother (b1897) telling me about an Edwardian music hall act who called himself The Chocolate Coloured Coon; I discover now that this was George Elliott from Birmingham - he was still peddling his dubious talents in Variety revues as late as the 1950s! It is very different here in Toronto, where racoons are a common (if quite cute) pest. If I was to say “coons tipped over my garbage again”, no-one here would assume I meant Black people. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2009, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-a-coons-age/480592/24 "2009-01-11T18:55:53Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Isn’t that liable to get you in trouble with Native Americans? Maybe. I was actually quoting an old Jonathan Winters routine, “Many moons come Choctaw…” ---
**Author:** ![spike404](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@spike404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spike404)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2009, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-a-coons-age/480592/25 "2009-01-11T19:30:09Z")
Just for information: The American Kennel Club has the Black and Tan Coonhound, Bluetick Coonhound, and Redbone Coonhound listed as specific breeds. ---
**Author:** ![Squeaker\_Snow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Squeaker\_Snow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squeaker_Snow)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2009, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-a-coons-age/480592/26 "2009-01-11T20:47:07Z")
Interesting thread. I’m glad you brought this up. I used the phrase, “I haven’t seen you in a coon’s age!” for most of my life. My great-grandma used it and most of my family has through the years. Awhile back it occured to me that it might be a racist thing, though I always assumed that it was referring to the lifespan of a racoon, so I just stopped saying it. Better safe than sorry I think. I’d rather just give it up than hurt just one person’s feelings even if I didn’t mean to. P.S. Racoons have been known to live up to 16 years, but most live 3-4 years in the wild. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2009, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-a-coons-age/480592/27 "2009-01-11T21:21:43Z")
> [@Squeaker\_Snow](#): > > P.S. Racoons have been known to live up to 16 years, but most live 3-4 years in the wild. 😉 Heh, does my garage count as “the wild”? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-a-coons-age/480592/28 "2009-01-12T13:56:20Z")
Reading this thread make me want to watch _Ghost World_ again. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-a-coons-age/480592/29 "2009-01-12T22:15:14Z")
[QUOTE=SeanArenas] I’ve also never heard the word “coon” used outside of that phrase, either as a reference to an animal or a person of any color. I live near Los Angeles. [/quote] \Well there’s your problem. \ Try Southern U.S. slang. I heard it as late as the 1980’s. [QUOTE=Cisco] I’m well aware of the use of “coon” as a slur but I use “in a coon’s age” all the time and never thought of it as anything but a reference to the lifetime of a racoon. What’s the bad interpretation? "In the age of a . . . black person . . . who lives as long as everyone else . . . "??? [/QUOTE] Not knowing of raccoons’ reputation for a lengthy life, the expression is pretty nonsensical to me, anyhow. I don’t think it takes any great effort at making sense of the expression to take it as an inappropriate reference with racial overtones rather than a look to raccoons. YMMV. I personally wouldn’t use that expression, or the dog version, or any other variation. They just sound awkward to my ear. YMMV. [QUOTE=outlierrn] since christ was a corporal [/QUOTE] Jesus was in the army? As an enlisted man? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-a-coons-age/480592.md?page=1)