According to Cocker
Suggest a CorrectionMeaning
Correctly or exactly, especially in arithmetic or in accordance with accepted rules. Dated and often humorous. Modern readers may not recognize Cocker as an arithmetical authority. Regional use: British English.
Origin
Edward Cocker died in 1676. John Hawkins issued the hugely successful Cocker's Arithmetick from a manuscript in 1678, and Cocker's name became a proverbial standard for correct calculation. A 1756 stage character reveres Cocker's arithmetic; the full expression flourished especially in the 19th century and was fading by the early 20th.
Research Sources
Variants
- Quite according to Cocker
Usage Examples
- The weights are all according to Cocker, down to the final ounce.
- If the accounts are according to Cocker, the two columns should balance.
- The inspector found every coupling fitted quite according to Cocker.