English

Interjection

cool beans

1. A humorous and lighthearted nonsense phrase indicating approval or mild excitement: okay, sure.
2. A phrase meaning “great” or “that's remarkable”: wow.
   • 1978, Cheech Marin; Tommy Chong (Cheech & Chong), Up in Smoke, written by Cheech Marin; Tommy Chong, Los Angeles, Calif.: Paramount Home Video, OCLC 79631167:

     Cheech: “Hey man, look at this car made out of weed!” / Chong: “Oh cool beans, man!”

   • 1985, Marlene Fanta Shyer, Grandpa Ritz and the Luscious Lovelies, New York, N.Y.: Scribner, ISBN 978-0-684-18408-1, page 30:

     ‘It’s cool beans!’ That’s what Betsy always says when she thinks something is fantastic, and I couldn’t help wondering what she’d say if she could see me now.

References

• J[onathan] E. Lighter (2007) Historical Dictionary of American Slang, volume 2, New York, N.Y.: Random House Publishing, ISBN 978-0-19-517418-2.