Cocker

Cocker, Edward (1631-1675), an engraver who taught writing and arithmetic, and was the author of the celebrated arithmetic, which gave rise to the expression "according to Cocker." This book has been condemned as a bad one which led to great deterioration among elementary books on the subject, and has been declared also to be a forgery, and not the work of Cocker at all. The same is said also of his English Dictionary. Pepys speaks of him in his diary as well-read in the poets.