June 30, 2010

Another Theory on Cougar Term

Posted by Lizzie

Someone asked Parade magazine how the term "Cougar" came to mean and older woman. Here is what the magazine replied:

"One popular story is that the term first showed up in the locker room of the Vancouver Canucks hockey team in the late 1980s, describing groupies of a mature vintage," says language expert Patricia T. O'Conner. "The usage was popularized in 2001, when Valerie Gibson wrote COUGAR: A GUIDE FOR OLDER WOMEN DATING YOUNGER MEN. Now there are dozens of online services devoted to matching 'cougs' with 'cubs.'"

Recently, I saw a talk show on which the host mentioned Cougar to the guest who likes younger men. She became a little irritated, stating she "hates the term and finds it degrading."

What about you? Do you find "Cougar" degrading?

Lizzie

2 comments:

Helen Hardt said...

Let's just say it's a lot less degrading than MILF. Now that's a terms that irritates me!

Pat said...

They both irritate me. Really, why (rhetorical question here) are all the negative words about women?