"Coug It"

Washington State cut ties yesterday with their top quarterback prospect. Calvin Schmidtke was freed from his letter of intent because it appears that he can't stay out of trouble with the authorities. He has been cited 11 times, in 18 months, for various violations, the most serious of which involve alcohol and drug trafficking. He was so close to fooling the coaches on the Palouse, yet in the end he couldn't get that D-1 scholy he coveted so. You could say that this kid has already shown some of the qualities Cougars are famous for. He "Coug'd it."

"Coug' it" is a saying that has become apart of Pacific Northwest resident's lexicon. Based on years and years of the Cougar football team's uncanny ability to get off to a great start only to see it evaporate in a cloud of losses in November. The phenomena has transcended the arena of sports and is now used to describe blowing for sure things at the last minute. You might define it as "snatching defeat from the almost certain clutches of victory." Find a way to use it this weekend and impress your friends of your knowledge of other cultures. Here are some examples to get you started.

Can't close the deal on a great date - "Coug'd it."

Poor interview causes you to loss out on a job offer that was all but a foregone conclusion - "You really Coug'd that one!"

Lose a game in the last out of the ninth inning - "We Coug'd that game!"

Didn't get that big sale even though you nailed the presentation - "Coug'd it!"

Fail a final exam that you only needed a C in to get an A in the class - "You really Coug'd that one away!"

Lost out on a college scholarship that you had already signed the letter of intent for - "Dude, I hope you didn't Coug' your life away."