Chrysti The Wordsmith: Cougar - 2

Greetings verb of yours last time on Kristi the wordsmith the word cougar was in the etymological spotlight. It represents the tawny long tailed cat native to the Americas. This wild feline has many regional names mountain lion and catamount among them. But Cougar has an especially engaging history. It comes ultimately from the Guarani language a tongue spoken by the original inhabitants of Paraguay and parts of Brazil. The term is thought to mean false deer in reference to its deer like tawny color. The word cougar appeared in English documents as early as seven hundred seventy four. The meaning of cougar remained consistent for the next 200 plus years until just recently when it metaphorically expanded into something new. Suddenly and slangily a cougar was an older woman who dates younger men. The moniker relies on the notion of a skilled predator pouncing on its smaller prey. Though popularized in a book by Valerie Gibson called Cougar a guide for older women

dating younger men. Published in 2001 the slang term may have been in circulation some years prior. Dictionary editor Grant Barrett believes the words first printed citation occurred in a website dedicated to pairing older women with younger men. Cougar date dot com was founded in Canada in 1909 and a story on that website indicates that the term had been circulating amongst Canadian hockey players for some time. I'm Christie the wordsmith. Good day were lovers. CHRISTIE The wordsmith is sponsored by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Zoot enterprises a high tech firm in Bozeman Montana offering challenging careers and innovative solutions for the financial services industry. Zoot web dot com.