We're going to drop some locals-only wisdom on you, which Seattle natives rarely if ever do sober...so listen up.

Like every big city, Seattle has some of its own slang that is particular to the city. For example, the UW is pronounced by anyone in the know as U-Dub. (You can thank Singles for letting that secret out of the bag.) Well, if you want to say someone f'd something up big time or dropped the ball--around these parts, especially if you're a Husky, it's known as "Couging It." Couging is a verb -- to coug, they couged, we couged it--and, if it had a Webster definition, it would be "Couging (v): to err gravely or embarrassingly in the final moments; 2) to fail at a simple task; 3) to fail in a spectacular way."

The word was created by self-deprecating Cougars tired of last minute sports losses, but has been taken over to describe Husky hatred for all things Pullman. Former Seattlest editor, and all-around-sports-guru Seth Kolloen defined "Couging it" poetically: "to clutch defeat from the jaws of victory."

Well, it seems "Couging It" has spread off the sports field and onto decisions at Wazzu in general. It was released today that WSU declined an offer to host the Vice Presidential debate this fall. As in the Vice President of the United States, the biggest thing to ever happen to Wazzu--but, no thanks. Instead the other Washington University in St. Louis, where there is no actual Washington anything, will be hosting the debate. Of course, a year ago when WSU passed on the offer, they had no idea just how big (see: contentious, crazy, circus-y) this election's Vice Presidential race would be. But still, it would have been a chance to feature WSU on the national stage in a positive way, one that had no connection to riots about banning alcohol on campus or former coaches being fired from new jobs for playing with prostitutes. Hate to say it, but when it comes to turning down the Vice Presidential debate--Wazzu you definitely Couged It.

Cougs (pre-Baylor Game) by Don McCoy