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cotton to

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cotton (on)to someone or something

Rur. to begin to like or agree to someone or something quickly. She began to cotton to Fred, despite his country ways. She cottoned onto Jane's way of thinking.

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cotton to somebody/something

to like someone or something The public did not cotton to her new CD.

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cotton to

1. Take a liking to, get along with, as in This dog doesn't cotton to strangers. Although this verbal phrase comes from the noun for the fabric, the semantic connection between these parts of speech is unclear. [Early 1800s]

2. Also, cotton on to. Come to understand, grasp, as in She didn't really cotton on to what I was saying. [Colloquial; early 1900s]

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cotton to

v.

1. To take a liking to someone or something: That dog doesn't cotton to strangers.

2. To come to understand something: I finally cottoned to the new computer system.

See also: cotton