Since before cocky was an egg.
Since before cocky was an egg.
Meaning in plain English
The phrase emphasises a very long time by placing its beginning before cocky was an egg. The supplied gloss reads it as long ago.
Example
A speaker uses the phrase to exaggerate how long they have known a familiar place.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The egg image pushes the imagined starting point far back without supplying a calendar date. A useful application recognises emphatic duration rather than a literal chronology. The exact referent of cocky and the phrase’s origin are not independently established in this explanation.
When to use it
Use it to explain emphatic long duration while leaving lexical context uncertain.
Keep in mind
No literal date, exact cocky referent or historical origin is verified.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 92; PDF page 17
Reuse and collection notes ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · supplied collection
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
- Contributor-confirmed reuse permission
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
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