To play Box and Cox means to participate in an arrangement in which you and someone else take turns occupying the same space at different times. This British expression derives from Box and Cox (Bookshop|Amazon), an 1847 farce by John Maddison Morton, in which a London landlord leases an apartment to two men, unbeknownst to each other. By day, the apartment is occupied by John Box, and by night it is leased to a fellow named James Cox. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Box and Cox”
Here’s a handy term that was new to me: to play box and cocks. Do you know this term, Grant?
To play box, b-o-x, and cocks, c-o-c-k-s. Yes, and I will just add that the b and the c are capitalized: to play box and cocks.
No, no idea. It sounds like it might be British. I don’t know why I’m saying that, but I have no idea.
Yes, because you usually guess these things. It’s rhyming slang, I bet.
No, it’s not rhyming slang. It refers to an arrangement in which people take turns occupying the same space at different times. So, for example, you might share an office.
On alternating days with someone, or you use it in the morning, they use it in the evening.
You and the other worker are said to play box and cocks. And that comes from the title of an 1847 farce by John Madison Morton. And in this play, there’s a London lodging housekeeper who leases.
One apartment to two men, and neither of the guys knows that the other is renting that apartment.
During the other time. So by day, the apartment is occupied by John Box, and by night, it’s leased to a guy named James Cox.
And as you can imagine, hilarity ensues. So to play Box and Cox.
That’s awesome. To share the same desk is also known as hot desking.
Yes.
And to share the same bed on different sheets is known as hot sheeting.
Didn’t know the latter. Huh.
Yeah, that’s the kind of thing that they might do back in the gold mining days when everything was really expensive in California.
So you would just, somebody would get out of bed and you’d pay your quarter and get in it.
Oh, man.
The things we learn.
The things we learn.
And we’d love to learn from you.
So call us to talk about language, 877-929-9673.
Or send your observations to words@waywordradio.org.
