cousin

Someone unknowledgeable, unsophisticated, or naïve about the niceties and complexities of an urban environment, especially in a humorous or quaint capacity. I always try to lend a hand to the poor country cousins who invariably stand bewildered by the skyscrapers and the incredible noise of traffic. I thought I was savvy enough to live in New York City, but I soon felt like the country cousin.

Used hyperbolically to express a large number or a majority of people. I'm so jealous, everybody and his cousin is going on a vacation this summer except for me.

Used hyperbolically to express a large number or a majority of people. I'm so jealous, everyone and his cousin is going on a vacation this summer except for me.

Someone or something that bears a close relation or resemblance to another person or thing. Their newest model of car, though spiffed up, remains a first cousin to their last design. In terms of artistic vision, the young director is clearly a first cousin to the likes of Alfred Hitchcock.

Slightly similar or related to something else, while being noticeably different or unique. Usually followed by "to" or "of (something)." It's clear that, from design, power, and aesthetic, their new sports car is second cousin to the classic muscle cars of the 1950s.

slang What's going on? How are you doing? What's new with you? A: "Hey, bro, what's buzzin' cousin?" B: "Yo Mike, not much man." What's buzzin', y'all? Everyone have a good weekend?

relatives who know one another well enough to kiss when they meet. Joe and I are kissing cousins, though we ain't seen one another since we was kids. Technically, we're second cousins once removed, but I just say we're kissing cousins.

Rur. to think someone is perfect. Joe won't listen to any complaints about Mary. He thinks she hung the moon and stars. Jim is awful stuck-up. He thinks he's God's own cousin.

Sl. What's happening? Hey, chum! What's buzzin' cousin? What's buzzin' around here?

One whose lack of sophistication or rural ways may amuse or embarrass city dwellers. For example, The sightseeing guide geared his tour toward country cousins who had never been to a large city before . This term, which literally means "a cousin who lives in the country," has been used in this figurative way since the second half of the 1700s, although the idea is much older (such persons were stock figures of fun in Restoration comedies of the late 1600s and early 1700s).

A close relation or resemblance to someone or something, as in This new machine is a first cousin to the previous model. The figurative use of cousin, which literally means "the child of one's aunt or uncle," dates from the 1300s.

Two or more things that are closely akin or very similar. For example, They may be made by different manufacturers, but these two cars are kissing cousins. This metaphoric term alludes to a distant relative who is well known enough to be greeted with a kiss. [c. 1930]

Something that is related or similar but not quite the same, as in This beef stew is second cousin to boeuf bourguignon. This expression transfers the literal sense of second cousin-that is, the child of the first cousin of one's mother or father-a usage dating from the mid-1600s.

A visiting unsophisticated relative or friend whose naiveté or rough manners embarrass the host. Such a person became a stock figure of fun in Restoration comedies (of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries). The precise term was current by the second half of the eighteenth century and a cliché by the mid-nineteenth century. Anthony Trollope’s son’s reminiscences (Thomas Adolphus Trollope, What I Remember, 1887) included, “One of the sights of London for country cousins was to see the mails starting.” The term is heard less often today.