This eve an interesting question was posed in a classroom discussion - it is however somewhat delicate, in a politically correct forum. No one actually had the correct answer, or did not wish to… So, I ask you. Does anyone know the origin of meaning of the phrase: “haven’t seen them in a 'coon’s age”?? Could it refer to the practice of hunting Raccoons by the full moon? Or does it refer to a distasteful racial slurr? How long do Raccoons live anyway?
Try here.
This link brought you you by the letter G [sub]oogle[/sub] and the number 2 [sub]minutes to search[/sub]. 
Great site! I know I will use it often.
Have to admit, I was REALLY hoping it was about Raccoons…
Yes, but that’s just someone’s opinion, and besides that site is evidently talking about Australian usage rather than U.S.
“Coon” certainly has been a derogatory term for blacks, but without better documentation it’s certainly possible that the phrase is derived from “racoon’s age.” Another site said it was a modification of the English phrase “a crow’s age.” The “racoon” derivation makes more intuitive sense to me. I haven’t been able to find any authoritive documentation one way or the other on the web yet.
samclem no doubt will be along shortly with some better info on this.
Although “coon” was historically also a racist term, I have always heard it used to refer to procyon lotor and the former only in literature.
Citations with relevant cross-references:
Green, Jonathon. Cassel’s Dictionary of Slang. London: Cassel & Co., 1998.
Raccoons are fairly long-lived, with a life span of up to 16 years.
And not even a good opinion. His reasoning seems to be that since “coon” used to be used as a racial slur, it is therefore the origin of the term. Quite a leap to get from here to there.
I just checked the Oxford English Dictionary. The first citation they give for “coon’s age” is 1860, which they ascribe to the “raccoon” sense. They do not give any citation of “coon” as a derogatory term for blacks. Instead, they say that, when applied to a person, it means either: (1) a member of the U.S. Whig Party (from the symbol, a raccoon) or (2) a clever person.
I’m from the South and frequently use that phrase. I’ve always assumed it refered to a racoon. The word “coon” in regards to Black people is very old. Therefore if “coon’s age” was referring to a black persons age, it would actually be a short period of time, considering the short life span of Blacks in the old South.
I want to thank you, all of you, for your help, and your contributions to this samantical subject! It has been interesting as well as enlightening.
I think that I will continue to view this phrase as being a reference to the Raccoon, it simply makes no sense to me as a racial reference. Somehow it comes out to be contridictory,as someone mentioned, in view of the fact that slaves or African/Americans had foreshortened lives.
So until next time folks! and I hope it will be “less than a 'coon’s age”!
SpiritDog
Sorry, just had to interject that those who would have you believe that during the period of legal slavery in America a racoon had a longer life expectancy than a black human are wrong. I can find no evidence anywhere that the life expectancy was 16 years or less for any human group during any period of history at any place on earth. If you have cites to the contrary, let’s see 'em.