cotton-picking

1. uncountableThe harvesting of cotton

   The season of cotton-picking commences in the latter part of July, and continues without intermission to the Christmas holidays.

   1859, Opportunities for Industry and the Safe Investment of Capital

alternative cotton-pickin'

1. UScolloquialdialectalidiomaticAn intensifier, like "darn", used for emphasis or to signify that something is of little value.

   "Now hold up here just a cotton-picking minute,"

   1959, U.S. Army Aviation Center, U.S. Army Aviation School, United States Army aviation digest, page 31

   3 more examples

   "Oh, wait one damn cotton-picking minute," Andy said.

   1967, Howard Fast., The Hunter and the Trap, page 14

   I think the President's Adviser on Domestic Affairs should keep his cotton-picking hands off the economic policy for a change.

   1975, Richard M Nixon - Containing the Public Messages, Speeches, and Statements of the President

   Santana spat, “You've got to be out of your cotton-picking mind. Who the hell would go back to that place?”

   2019, Larry Johns, The Devil's Breath

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see cotton, picking.

   "...are not entitled to anything, Mrs. Wright, (referring to one of the appellees), because your son (referring to the deceased, F.A. Wright, Jr.), was a cotton picking Negro."

   1965, “American law reports annotated. second series”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name), volume 76, page 1276