General
cool cat
What does cool cat mean?
Someone admirably unflappable under pressure.
"Real cool cat — didn't blink when the cops showed."
Origin
Combines 'cool' — a prized jazz value of composed understatement, popularized via cool jazz — with 'cat,' the jazz term for a man. The phrase became a defining beatnik archetype in the 1950s.
Frequently asked questions
What does cool cat mean in slang?
It means a calm, stylish, in-the-know man — the embodiment of beatnik and jazz-era cool.
Where did cool cat come from?
It joins jazz's prized idea of 'cool' (composed understatement) with 'cat' (a man), both from Black jazz culture. Beatniks made it an archetype in the '50s.
What did 'cool' mean to beatniks?
Not cold, but composed, understated, and in control — a value drawn from cool jazz, signaling effortless self-possession.
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