Street voices
Janna
·
United States
Just recorded
"Cook, or to cook, is basically you working towards something pretty good. Whether that be like a job, or money, or, you know, a relationship. To cook is basically to work for it in like a positive manner. An example would be... Oh wait, is that Hudson Williams over there? Calm down, let me cook."
What it means
Means to be working your way toward something solid, impressive, or about to pay off, especially when you clearly have a plan and need people to stop doubting you for a minute. You can say you are cooking when progress is building, or tell others let me cook when you want room to prove yourself. Loads of internet and sports chat run on this one.
Usage examples
"Everybody was clowning Marcus for sketching business ideas at lunch, then he grinned, shut the laptop halfway, and said chill, let me cook for a sec."
Where it comes from
This one has older roots in African American English where cook already meant doing something with skill or intensity, then the internet supercharged it through let him cook memes, sports talk, and reaction posts. From there it spread into everyday chat as a way to say someone is onto something and should be allowed to keep going.
Editors of this term
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