Meanings
- Expresses skepticism over the potential for positive outcomes of someone else's bold actions.
Triple Play Burger: Working fried bologna into the mix? That’s a bold move, Cotton.
2019 April 3, Phil Thompson, “What to eat, where to park and where to find the Goose: What to know if you’re going to White Sox games this season”, in Chicago Tribune2 more examples
I called Nunberg back and told him, "Bold move, Cotton,” and expressed my skepticism it would work. Nunberg shot back, “You should recognize this strategy, Steve, it's right out of your book.”
2019, Steve Deace, Truth Bombs: Confronting the Lies Conservatives Believe (To Our Own Demise), Post Hill Press, →ISBNMarsh whistled low as he rubbed a hand over his husband's hunched shoulders. "Bold move, Cotton." Levi elbowed his side, and Marsh chuckled. "And to think, I was going to tell you not to worry." He tilted his head towards the restaurant. "Let's go see if your move pays off."
2023, Layla Reyne, King Hunt: A Perfect Play Novel (Perfect Play), Layla Reyne, →ISBN
Origin
A modification of a quote, "It's a bold strategy, Cotton. Let's see if it pays off for him." from the 2004 film Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. Cotton is the name of the character in that film addressed by that quote.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
bold move, Cotton. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bold%20move%2C%20Cotton
“bold move, Cotton.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bold%20move%2C%20Cotton. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bold move, Cotton,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bold%20move%2C%20Cotton.
Source: bold move, Cotton on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.