tall cotton n chiefly Sth, S Midl Cf high cotton n 1
In phr be in tall cotton and varr: To be prosperous, do well, be in a good situation.
1941 TX Bar Assoc. Proc. 2.144, Well, I thought I was in tall cotton down there in that city trying a case involving that amount of money. 1949 PADS 11.7 wTX, High (tall) cotton, in the: . . Doing well. 1965 DARE FW Addit OK, Tall cotton, to be in: To have good luck or to be in good spirits. 1984 Wilder You All Spoken Here 126 Sth, Shittin’ in tall cotton, livin’ in tall cotton: Prosperous; in good financial and/or social position; a good liver. 1985 Ladwig How to Talk Dirty 27 Ozarks, She’s choppin’ tall cotton . . doing well. 1996 Atlanta Jrl.–Constitution (GA) 11 Feb sec M 3/4, We’re in tall cotton now (something big just happened). 1999 Time 24 Jan (Internet), The Republicans, sitting in tall cotton, relaxed, stretched, and let the presidency continue to unravel. 2002 Star (Kansas City MO) 21 Sept (Internet) ceKS, When I started out in this business, I thought I was in tall cotton. 2004 DARE File—Internet WV, Big oil boys in tall cotton now. . . well with the take-over of the Iraq oil fields old Bush’s texas oilfrens [sic] have pretty well got things set up the way they want them now.