Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. testicles, used to mean both the physical organ and metaphorical courage.

1932		E. Hemingway Death in the Afternoon 28: It takes more cojones to be a sportsman where death is a closer party to the game.
1949		R. Chandler Little Sister 74: Muy guapo tambien. Con cojones.
1955		E. Hunter Blackboard Jungle 196: Or are you just all talk and no cojones?
1975		E. Torres Carlito’s Way 118: Ugh, did he break cajuns in this case.
1977		E. Torres Q&A 123: Mullins got plenty cojones.
1981		H. Gould Fort Apache, The Bronx 47: Oye, maricon, you wanna show me your cohones?
1997		N. Barlay Curvy Lovebox 36: My cohones got so big [...] they needed extra road crew for d’load.
1998		T. Fontana and D. Sarjeant ‘Animal Farm’ Oz ser. 2 ep. 7 [TV script] I got no problem with you taking over. I mean you El Cid. You have cojones.
1998		Source Nov. 20: Every now and then, you’ve got to grab your cojones and put it out there.
1999		Ian Dury ‘Bed of Roses No. 9’ 🎵 You robbed me of my natural sense of humour / And nailed my poor cojones to the door.
2004		C. Hiaasen Skinny Dip 167: Tool [...] would appreciate the cojones that it took to throw Joey off the cruise liner.
2021		J. Ellroy Widespread Panic 197: ‘And you’ve got cojones [...] calling a Negro man “baby”’.

2. as play on ballocks n. (4)

2024

J. Meades Empty Wigs (t/s) 325: Do you really buy that... independence of the judiciary bollocks? Total fucking C. O. Jones.