Where is the expression don't cotton to come from?

The expression "don't cotton to" originates from the 19th-century American South, where "cotton" referred to the cotton plant, a significant crop in the region. The phrase means to not take a liking to or to not accept something. It likely derives from the idea that cotton was a staple of Southern life, and not "cottoning to" something implies a rejection of what is familiar or customary. Over time, it has evolved into a colloquial expression used more broadly in English.