Wednesday, September 9, 2009

What makes a woman a Cougar (age of the woman, age difference between her and her prey, etc.)? And can a man be a cougar?

12 comments:

Andrew said...

Oooh, a two-part QotD. I love it. It's like a high school exam.

A cougar, according to Urbandictionary.com, is "Noun. A 35+ year old female who is on the "hunt" for a much younger, energetic, willing-to-do-anything male. The cougar can frequently be seen in a padded bra, cleavage exposed, propped up against a swanky bar in San Francisco (or other cities)waiting, watching, calculating; gearing up to sink her claws into an innocent young and strapping buck who happens to cross her path. "Man is cougar's number one prey.'" (see also hunt, prowl, corner, pounce, Janice Dickinson)

John W said...

Great question! Generally speaking the accepted age is 40; however, if the man is 39 that doesn’t really work. In cases of age differential as it pertains to cougardom, I use high school generational gaps – The 40-year-old woman remembers watching St. Elmo’s Fire in the movie theater during high school, while her man has only seen it on TBS reruns. It is this gap that also allows for the existence of Pumas – younger, mid thirties women who remember watching 90210 in primetime, while their men of prey had cell phones in their middle school backpacks.

And no, men can’t be cougars.

Unknown said...

40+ Female = Cougar
30+ Female = Puma
37+ Male = Manther

No exceptions.

Unknown said...

I'd say pushing age 40 and the man would have to be under 27.

If you want to see a true cougar, come to Adams Mill during a Cowboys game. There has been a Cowboy's fan cougar coming there for years.

No, men can't be cougars...just creepy, but the age difference has to be greater...like a 60 year old dude and a 21 year old lady.

Unknown said...

i think it's a combo of minimum age of the cougar and difference in age between the two. and i think cougars have to be at least 40, with at least a 10 year age difference, but likely more. cougars prey on 20-somethings.

and men aren't cougars. the term for male cougar is "dirty old man". ex: larry king.

Dan said...

If woman > 34 and man < 26, woman = cougar.

LeMieux* said...

1. a cougar is determined by age difference and age of said cougar; standard is 10 years older and cougar must meet the min age req of 40

2. prey can be male or female

3. men cannot be cougars

sara said...

i think it's age gap and her style of dress.... the trashier woman she is the more likely she is to be called a coug.

i think it's an unfair double standard though to call a woman a cougar who appreciates a hot guy... meanwhile men have been dating younger women for years.

cougars rock on!

Cate said...

a woman must be over 40, targeting men under 30, and not looking for a long-term commitment to be considered a cougar. women in their 30s are most certainly not cougars.

sadly, men can't be cougars - because men who date much younger women are totally awesome and living every man's dream... while women who date much younger men are kind of sad, desperate and need to be referred to as a type of wild cat.

Unknown said...

I think the term "cougar" has evolved. Years ago I was taught that a cougar was an older woman, past her prime (i.e. sun damage, freckles on her chest, looks like she's had numerous children, etc.) who is single and looking for younger men. However, now a cougar means any older single woman period. The modern day cougars don't have to look like the patrons that frequent Dewey beach bars, such as the Starboard, but rather can look like hot older women who stay and shape. The term has become so loose, that the woman doesn't even need to be looking for younger men, or even be single herself.

Men can't be cougars.

Anonymous said...

So now I am a cougar just because I am over 40.... I never hunt any men younger, the same or older... They come on to me and yes I have had long lasting relationships with all three age groups... I have not dated anyone in their 20's while in my 40's but they do seem to be hitting on me a lot these days.....I am reluctant to date them because I really do not want to have a fling and one day they will want babies and I am not having anymore kids so they will leave

Anonymous said...

So if a 40 year old woman "hunting" a twenty year old man is a "cougar," and a 40 year old man dating a 20 year old girl is "creepy," then all that stuff about equality is crap? I guess the pay for a given job doesn't have to be the same for men and women either?

30 posts, 30 different definitions. Everyone is so clever.

I don't think it matters how he/she dresses or what he/she looks like, or how old he/she is as long as he and/or she is old enough to be considered an adult, shouldn't we just mind our own business and be glad someone is happy?

Part if the problem with this voyeuristic, reality show watching country is everyone is so miserable, they think they have the right to worry about what other people are doing.