It's "steppin in high cotton" , although I can see "walking" being used out west, in the Mississippi delta. The term is both literal and figurative. Cotton that has a good combination of fertile soil, perfect timing in rain, proper drainage, and weeds eliminated, will grow fully (no stunted growth) and tall. A bountiful crop. Much profit.
Parts of my family have grown cotton since it was first introduced on the Santee River in colonial South Carolina. My grandmother could pick 300 lbs a day, by hand, and still cook three meals a day for the family. Fortunately, we had mechanical cotton pickers when I came along. I just hoed it.
Keep in mind, modern cotton has been cross breed and hybrid strains created to produce more cotton bolls on a shorter stalk. More efficient and the cotton picker heads can be smaller.
Figuratively, it's use is for anything nice, impressive, which will invoke the term. A meeting of "high faluting" people, a swanky wedding, an expensive party, a nice expensive house, a nice resort, etc.
Ditto on three sheets to the wind, a nautical term for untethered sails and a ship out of control.
Parts of my family have grown cotton since it was first introduced on the Santee River in colonial South Carolina. My grandmother could pick 300 lbs a day, by hand, and still cook three meals a day for the family. Fortunately, we had mechanical cotton pickers when I came along. I just hoed it.
Keep in mind, modern cotton has been cross breed and hybrid strains created to produce more cotton bolls on a shorter stalk. More efficient and the cotton picker heads can be smaller.
Figuratively, it's use is for anything nice, impressive, which will invoke the term. A meeting of "high faluting" people, a swanky wedding, an expensive party, a nice expensive house, a nice resort, etc.
Ditto on three sheets to the wind, a nautical term for untethered sails and a ship out of control.
