Etymology Journal ยท W
Wait just a cotton-pickin' minute
Meaning
- A way to tell someone to stop and pause because you disagree or need a second. It is a mild, folksy interjection used to pump the brakes on a conversation.
Folksy, skeptical
Used in a sentence
- Wait just a cotton-pickin' minute, I never agreed to pay for that.
- Wait just a cotton-pickin' minute, is that my lawnmower in your truck?
- Wait just a cotton-pickin' minute before you start yelling at the kids.
The backstory
This phrase originated in the American South during the era of the plantation economy. While widely used as a colloquialism, it carries significant historical baggage.
Heard in
The South
Vibe check