Phrases & SayingsWork, bush and rural life
within cooee
Within earshot, reach or a short distance.
In a sentence
No other team came within cooee of their final score.
Where it came from
The phrase extends cooee, a distance call from the Aboriginal Sydney Language. Something within cooee was originally near enough to hear the call and later simply within reach or close.
- Initial era
- 1800–1899
- Where used
- Australian use; no narrower regional pattern established
- Use today
- Current