The Legend of Cootie Brown

Cootie Brown is a term my family has used as long as I can remember... or at least since I was allowed to drink.

"Cousin W got the Cootie Brown award at Cousin A's wedding. We think it was the Wild Turkey that did him in."

Recently, Miss Tish did a post asking for information on this legend. I shared what we had all heard from my Grandfather before he passed, who said Cootie Brown was the town drunk. My Dad and I can only assume he meant Point of Rocks, Maryland, where he grew up. Evidently, "Cootie Brown" is a widely used term in the south, primarily Tennessee, to express how drunk someone is.

Miss Tish did a second post with information she received from Belly:

"According to the Farmer’s Almanac, Cooter (Cootie) Brown lived along the Mason-Dixon Line at the start of the Civil War. He had family on both sides. Not wishing to be drafted by the North or the South, he decided to get drunk - and stay drunk - so that he wouldn’t have to fight in the war. Drunkenness has been measured against him ever since!"

I am calling out to see if anyone out there has any more information on the Legend of Cootie Brown before we have to start making up our own story of his legend.