have a Captain Cook

have a Captain Cook

slang To glance at or inspect (someone or something), especially in a quick, informal, or nonchalant manner; to take a look. The phrase comes from rhyming slang in which "Captain Cook" rhymes with "look." (Captain James Cook was an 18th-century British navigator.) Primarily heard in UK. I think you better have a Captain Cook at this—the entire file has been deleted! Can I have a Captain Cook at the map? Please tell me that the boss had a Captain Cook at the memo before you sent it to the whole department.
See also: captain, cook, have
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
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