adj. (colloquial).—1. Impertinent; audacious; calmly impudent.
1870. Figaro, 22 May. It is considered to be COOL to take a man’s hat with his name written in it, simply because you want to get his autograph.
COOL AS A CUCUMBER, phr. (common).—Without heat; also, metaphorically, calm and composed.
2. (In reference to money; e.g., a COOL hundred, thousand, etc.) Commonly expletive; but sometimes used to cover a sum a little above the figure stated.
1750. FIELDING, Tom Jones, bk. VIII., ch. xii. Mr. Watson, too, after much variety of luck, rose from the table in some heat, and declared he had lost a COOL hundred, and would play no longer.
1771. SMOLLETT, The Expedition of Humphry Clinker, l. 41. I’ll bet a COOL hundred he swings before Christmas.
1825. EDGEWORTH, Love and Law, i., 2. Suppose you don’t get sixpence costs, and lose your COOL hundred by it, still it’s a great advantage.
1841. BULWER-LYTTON, Night and Morning, bk. II., ch. x. Borrowed his money under pretence of investing it in the New Grand Anti-Dry-Rot Company; COOL hundred—it’s only just gone, sir.
1890. Illustrated Bits, 29 March, p. 8, col. 2. I made three thousand last year, but if I have good luck this year I shall make a COOL fifty thousand.
3. (Eton College).—See COOL KICK and the following.
Verb (Eton College).—To kick hard.
