Travelling through the South of USA with robboy recently, we came across crop areas of great historical and economical importance. From these crops a number of phrases emerged that are used today. Some refer to 'life being good' from the development of this crop. Others pertain to 'living harmoniously', or 'the concept of understanding' as a juxtaposition of the term from the crop adhering to ones clothing. What is the crop, and what other industry does the same phrase derive from?

DukeDawson

Tobacco? Jul 22 06, 6:22 PM

gdec1

Cotton To take a liking; attempt to be friendly: a dog that didn't cotton to strangers; an administration that will cotton up to the most repressive of regimes. To come to understand. Often used with to or onto: “The German bosses . . . never cottoned to such changes” "We're in high cotton now" or "You're in high cotton", meaning all is going very well. http://www.answers.com/cotton&r=67 Jul 22 06, 6:43 PM

Lilady

gdec1 is correct about cotton. I'm from the South USA. Jul 22 06, 7:13 PM

peasypod

....and the answer to the rest of the question is? Jul 22 06, 7:15 PM

gdec1

There was an earlier phrase, to cotton or to cotton well, that was used to refer to textiles, and initially in the making of hats: when the wool and other ingredients blended well and made a good material for hat-making, they were said to cotton well. http://www.takeourword.com/TOW178/page2.html Jul 22 06, 7:35 PM

peasypod

Well done gdec, you can have your Golden Banana now. ;) Jul 22 06, 9:27 PM