cozzler

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frindle

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Hello. Would you please tell me what 'cozzler' means in this context below? Thank you.

(These sentences are from a picture book for children.)
--- Once, I met a Django.
A what?
A Django. It's like a thing. A sort of it. A kind of cozzler that can easily find trouble.
It was standing inside our home one day, staring at Papa's banjo and saying, "Cor, lovely!"
 

probus

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Never heard it in my life. Must be a made-up word for purposes of a children's book.
 

Raymott

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Hello. Would you please tell me what 'cozzler' means in this context below? Thank you.

(These sentences are from a picture book for children.)
--- Once, I met a Django.
A what?
A Django. It's like a thing. A sort of it. A kind of cozzler that can easily find trouble.
It was standing inside our home one day, staring at Papa's banjo and saying, "Cor, lovely!"
Urban Dictionary: Cozzle
Not sure if that's relevant.
 

frindle

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Could it be a kind of 'troublemaker' or something? (It keeps making trouble in the story.)
 

bhaisahab

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Could it be a kind of 'troublemaker' or something? (It keeps making trouble in the story.)

As the author made up the word I suppose it can be anything she/he wants it to be.
 

emsr2d2

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Which book is it from and who is the author?
 

JMurray

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not a teacher

The OP's quote is from the children's book "Django" (2010) by Levi Pinfold.

The only other literary use of the word I can find is in Harriet T. Comstock's "Janet of the Dunes" (1908)

"Durned little cozzler!" chuckled Billy. "I know what yer up t'. Ain't got nothin' t' do yet, over on the mainland; just a lazy little tormint; an' ye want t' cozzen Capn' Billy. Why can't ye jine the army that plain fleecin' the city folks?

The verb "cozen" means to cheat, defraud by deception. So, allowing for a little variation in spelling over time, perhaps a "cozzler" is simply one who "coz(z)ens", as is suggested by the use of both terms in the Comstock passage.
 

frindle

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You're right. It is from the book, <Django> by Levi Pinfold. Your comment was great help to me. Thank you very much.
 
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