Historical clue formulations

• Drops — 2026-09-04
• Falls short, say — 2025-10-15
• Falls short, say — 2025-08-09
• Crosses the finish line last, say — 2024-02-26
• Misplaces — 2023-11-20
• Draws the short straw — 2022-03-10
• Doesn't win — 2020-08-03
• Takes an "L" — 2020-04-12
• Goes down — 2019-03-22
• Comes up short, say — 2017-05-24
• Finishes with fewer votes — 2016-10-17
• Shakes — 2016-09-24
• Gets the booby prize — 2015-11-30
• Misplaces — 2015-10-20
• Mislays — 2015-08-26
• Gives the slip — 2015-07-24
• Shakes, as in a car chase — 2014-12-30
• Shakes off — 2014-11-01
• Squanders — 2014-07-10
• Forfeits — 2014-03-02
• Earns the booby prize — 2013-01-09
• Shakes, so to speak — 2011-11-16
• Shakes — 2010-12-02
• Comes up short, say — 2010-03-09
• Has confiscated — 2008-01-05
• Manages to elude — 2007-11-27
• Comes in second — 2006-07-25
• Leaves in the dust — 2004-08-15
• Takes a drubbing — 2002-06-21
• Misplaces — 2001-11-13
• Is defeated — 2001-11-08
• Comes in last — 2001-02-26
• Is eliminated from competition — 2000-08-08
• Shakes off — 1998-04-05
• Gets licked — 1997-07-26
• Forfeits — 1997-05-07
• Comes in last — 1995-03-13