# What's a "cunning cottage"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-cunning-cottage/109804>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 19, 2002, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-cunning-cottage/109804 "2002-05-19T07:19:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Neptune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@Neptune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neptune)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2002, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-cunning-cottage/109804/1 "2002-05-19T07:19:23Z")

</div>

The old song _I’ve Got a Crush on You_ has the line:

_Could you coo, could you care  
For a **cunning cottage** we could share?_

Can someone tell me, what’s a cunning cottage?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![LolaBaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@LolaBaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaBaby)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2002, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-cunning-cottage/109804/2 "2002-05-19T07:22:27Z")

</div>

A sneaky house?  
A house where they tryst?  
A secret place to bonk?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Lyllyan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@Lyllyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lyllyan)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2002, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-cunning-cottage/109804/3 "2002-05-19T07:32:13Z")

</div>

A cute little house.  
From [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com)…

“Pretty or pleasing; as, a cunning little boy. [Colloq. U.S.] --Barlett”

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Neptune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@Neptune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neptune)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2002, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-cunning-cottage/109804/4 "2002-05-19T07:43:59Z")

</div>

So, surprise! Cunning means cute. I’ve never heard the word used that way before.

Was this perhaps common usage in the 1920’s?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![LolaBaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@LolaBaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaBaby)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2002, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-cunning-cottage/109804/5 "2002-05-19T07:54:22Z")

</div>

Bummer. I preferred to think it was “A secret place to bonk”. 😃

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![robinh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b77776/32.png) [@robinh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robinh)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2002, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-cunning-cottage/109804/6 "2002-05-19T14:10:35Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Neptune \*  
> \*\*So, surprise! Cunning means cute. I’ve never heard the word used that way before.
> 
> Was this perhaps common usage in the 1920’s? \*\*

I don’t know if this alternate meaning ever had widespread usage, but it is common up in Maine. My mom uses it all the time.