# Did 'Make Love' mean something different in the '50s?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-make-love-mean-something-different-in-the-50s/57620>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 12, 2001, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-make-love-mean-something-different-in-the-50s/57620 "2001-03-12T05:30:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![SteveB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SteveB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveB)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2001, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-make-love-mean-something-different-in-the-50s/57620/41 "2001-04-10T00:53:07Z")

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In the Sherlock Homes story “A Case of Identity,” written by Arthur Conan Doyle in the 1890s, a young woman gets engaged to a man who mysteriously disappears on their wedding day. It turns out it was her step-father, in diguise, who wanted to prevent his step-daughter from marrying, so that he wouldn’t lose control of her money.

Holmes neatly sums up the actions by saying the step-father “keeps off other lovers by making love himself.” In this context, “making love” clearly refers to courting a woman – getting her to fall in love and become engaged.

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**Author:** ![exchicagoan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/0ea827/32.png) [@exchicagoan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/exchicagoan)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2001, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-make-love-mean-something-different-in-the-50s/57620/42 "2001-04-10T03:47:04Z")

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BADTZMARU------You’re BOTH right.

I was in High School and a young adult in the 50s. WE believed “MAKING LOVE” as being SEXUAL INTERCOURSE.

The SWEET TALKING definition was an OLDER phrase and meant just THAT.

It depends on the CONTEXT.

Applicable for the word LOVER too.

Personally, I also separate FUCKING from MAKING LOVE. One’s an all out, no holds barred, porn style session and the other is more kissing, caressing, “I love you” style.

Call me crazy—we NEED both types.

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**Author:** ![straykat23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@straykat23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/straykat23)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2001, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-make-love-mean-something-different-in-the-50s/57620/43 "2001-04-10T04:12:38Z")

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Like exchicagoan, I grew up in a large city. Back then there was a ‘cultural’ difference between cityfolk and townsfolk. Perhaps that was one of those differences (like the difference between ‘hickies’ and ‘monkey bites.’ Depends upon where you were from). ‘Making out’ was heavy petting; ‘making love’ was intercourse. Movies and TV programs rarely reflected reality (twin beds, etc.) Although ‘fucking’ is an old word, I didn’t hear it used blatantly until the 60s. My daughter and her friends, now in their 20s, say ‘having sex.’

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**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2001, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-make-love-mean-something-different-in-the-50s/57620/44 "2001-04-10T05:03:47Z")

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The last verse of the 1932 Cole Porter song:

> [@](#):
>
> Night and Day, under the hide of me,  
> There’s an old, such a hungry yearning, burning inside of me;  
> And this torment won’t be through,  
> Till you let me spend my life making love to you;  
> Day and Night, Night and Day

In the 1934 film “Gay Divorcee”, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers do a dance routine to this song. At the end, she sits down, apparently exhaused, and he offers her a cigarette.

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