Word of the Day

: January 29, 2012

Cook's tour

noun COOKS-TOOR

What It Means

: a rapid or cursory survey or review

Cook's tour in Context

The guide gave the group a Cook's tour of the types of sea life that they might encounter on their dive.

"Remain in the party zone. Do not drag other guests on an adventurous cook's tour of the property, sneak beyond closed doors, explore the master bath instead of the powder room, or snoop in the medicine cabinet." -- From an article by Krys Stefansky in The Virginian-Pilot, December 12, 2011.

Did You Know?

In 1841, British missionary Thomas Cook convinced a British railway to run a special train to a temperance meeting, then proceeded to find passengers for the trip, an event regarded as the beginning of organized tourism. Within a few years, Cook was setting up excursions on a regular basis, and by the century's end, the Thomas Cook & Son travel agency was orchestrating travel around the world. The agency's tours were famously well-organized, but they were also known for herding travelers hurriedly from location to location. A Cook's tourist might see an impressive array of famous sites, but often only in superficial glimpses. Over time, English speakers started using "Cook's tour" for any hurried tour, and later, for any rushed activity or cursory review.