gone coon

gone coon

slang, obsolete Any person or thing that is in a position of certain death, failure, or ruin. From the image of a raccoon (commonly shortened to "coon") being hunted for its fur. Primarily heard in US. He said his business would be a gone coon if the bank doesn't approve his loan.
See also: coon, gone
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

gone coon, a

Also, a gone goose. A person in a hopeless situation, one who is doomed; a dead duck. For example, When he passed me, I knew I was a gone goose. These terms have survived such synonyms as gone chick, gone beaver, gone horse, and gone gander. Stephen Crane used the first in The Red Badge of Courage (1894): "I'm a gone coon this first time." [Slang; early 1800s]
See also: gone
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

a gone coon

a person or thing in desperate straits or as good as dead. US informal
Coon in these idioms is an informal abbreviation of raccoon . Raccoons were hunted for their fur, and a gone coon was one that had been cornered so that it could not escape.
See also: coon, gone
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • a gone coon
  • gone coon, a
  • autem mort
  • blimp
  • blimp out
  • gun
  • guns
  • gangshag
  • bene
References in classic literature
"I'm a gone coon this first time and--and I w-want you to take these here things--to--my-- folks." He ended in a quavering sob of pity for himself.
Red Badge of Courage
Once let me loose on the lush, and, Lord love yer, I'm a gone coon!"
The Amateur Cracksman